562 MR. W. R. B. OLIVER : REVIEW OF THE 



The Blue Whale, which has a very wide range and is exceedingly- 

 abundant in the Antarctic Ocean, has only once been recorded 

 with certainty on the New Zealand coast. 



Okarito. — Skeleton in the Canterbury Museum. The dead 

 whale came ashore near Okarito in February 1908. Described 

 by Waite. Yertebte : 0. 7, D. 15, L. 14, Ca. 28 = 64. Cervicals 

 free. Ribs 15, 2nd to 5th two-headed. Transverse processes of 

 first lumbar vertebrae with articular surfaces. Sternum 56 cm. 

 long, with five processes ; one posterior, long ; two lateral, 

 triangular ; two anterior diverging, truncate. Pelvic bones about 

 30 cm. in length, posteriorly bent downwards at nearly a right 

 angle, each with a small detached bone about 2 cm. long above.^ 

 Phalanges : 0, 7, 8, 8, 5. 



Coal Point, Otago. — A large whale came ashore here in 1873.. 

 Some plates of baleen only were preserved, and were described by 

 Hutton (Trans. N.Z. Inst. vol. vii. p. 266, 1875). They probably 

 belonged to this species. 



Bal^noptera physalus. 



Balcena 2>hysalus Linne, Syst. Nat. ed. 10, p. 75 (European' 

 seas") {Balcenoptera musctdus auct.). Physahis australis Desm.,. 

 Hector, 1875, Trans. N. Z. Inst. vol. vii. p. 257, pi. 18 ; id. 1878, 

 1. c. vol. X. p. 336. Balcenoptera australis Desm., von Haast,. 

 1883, Pi"oc. Zool. Soc. 1883, p. 592. Baloinoptera musculus (not 

 Linne) Parker, 1885, Trans. jST.Z. vol. xvii. p. 3, pi. 6. Steno- 

 haloena xantliogaster Gray, 1874, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist. ser. 4, voL 

 xiv. p. 305 ; " Sulphur-bottom," Hector, 1874, Ann. Mag. Nat. 

 Hist. ser. 4, vol. xiv. p. 304. 



This is the common Finner of both northern and southern seas.. 

 It is occasionally cast ashore on the New Zealand coast. 



Nelson. — Stranded at entrance of Waimea River, 1883.. 

 Skeleton in Otago Museum. Described by Parker. Tertebrae : 

 0. 7, D. 15, L15,Ga. 25 = 62. Ribs 15, of which 2nd and 3rd are 

 two-headed, last rib less than half the length of the one in front. 

 Sternum with posterior process longer than the lateral ones. 

 Baleen slate-colour with white fibres. 



Cook Strait. — Stranded at Port Underwood, 10th June, 1874. 

 Skeleton in Dominion Museum, Wellington. Described by 

 Hector. On Hector's description Gray founded the genus and 

 species Stenohalcena xantJiogaster. "Vertebrae: 0. 7, D. 15, L. 15,. 

 Oa. 25 = 62. Ribs 15, of which 2nd and 3rd are two-headed- 

 Sternum with posterior process shorter than laterals. 



Neio Brighton Beach. — Stranded 1881. Skeleton described by 

 Haast. Yertebrse: C. 7, D. 15, L. 15, Ca. 25 = 62. Pelvic bone 

 13 in. long, 6 in. broad. Sternum with the posterior process 

 shorter than the laterals. (Yon Haast.) 



Bal^noptera borealis. 



Balcenoptera borealis Lesson, 1828, Hist. Nat. Get. p. 342;. 

 Lillie, 1915, ' Terra Nova' Exped., Zool. vol. i. p. 117, pi. 7. 



