262 LILLJEBORG ON THE 



European coast during the summer season, which makes it probable that it spends the sum- 

 mer in the far north, and migrates towards the south when winter approaches in the polar 

 regions. 



2. B. GIGAS, Eschricht} Giant Whale. Swedish " Jattehval." 



Dorsal Jin far dad; very small, and on a tJdck protuberance. Processus coronoideus high and 

 conspicuous. Vertehræ 'ht, or probably more. Axis alone of the cervical vertebrce with the pro- 

 cessus transversi formed like rings. Bibs 14 pairs ; 1st pair with the upper end forked or " biceps." 

 Fingers with very long and narrow phalanges. 



Balænoptera Gibbar ? Scoresby. An Account of the Arctic Regions, vol. i, p. 478.*^ 

 Sine nomine, Duhar. Osteographie de la Baleine, échouée å, Test du port d'Ostende 

 le 14 Novembre, 1837, avec planches. Brussels, 1828. 

 — — Van Breda, in F. Cuvier. Hist. Nat. des Cétacés, p. 328. 

 TuNNOLiK, D. F. Escfiricht. Undersogelser over Hvaldyrene, 5*'^ Afhandling, Kongl. 

 Danske Videnskab. Selskabs naturvidensk. o. matbem. Afhandlinger, 

 12*' Deel, p. 375, 1846. The description partly by H. P. C. Moller. 

 In Greenlandie Kepokarnak^ and Tunnolik. 

 Pterobalæna boops, Idem. Ditto ditto, 6''' Afhandling, Kongl. Danske Vidensk. 

 Selsk. Skr. 5'^ Række, naturvid, o. mathem. Afd., 1 Bd., 

 p. 134, 1849. 

 Balænoptera gigas, J. Reinhardt. Appendix to ' Gronland Geographisk og Statistisk 

 Beskrevet' by H, Rink, 1 Bd. 2 deel, p. 10, 1857. 



Note. — I know this whale only from the descriptions communicated by Eschricht, Van Breda, and 

 -Dubar, in the above-cited places, and they are unfortunately very incomplete. Dubar has had the best 

 material, having had an entire skeleton before him. Eschricht has only had a short description and 

 some few parts of the animal, both furnished from Greenland by the late Inspector H. P. C. Moller. 

 The skeleton described by Dubar was, according to Van Beneden, after being exhibited in several 

 capital cities of Europe, carried to the United States of America, and has not since been the object of 

 any scientific description or examination. Eschricht, in his 5th memoir, where he gives the 

 description of the " TunnoliJc" and " Kepolcarnalc," on account of the different form of the anterior 



Hornschuch, obtained in April, 1825, on the coast of RUgen, which had 61 vertehræ and 15 pairs of ribs, 

 was undoubtedly of this species, and has also been so considered by Eschricht. I have not had access 

 to the work of Rosenthal and Hornschuch where it is described. 



^ Eschricht has stated to me verbally that he now calls this species Pterobalæna gigas. 



^ Scoresby states its length to be about 100', and its circumference 30' — 35'. His description of 

 the dorsal fin corresponds with this whale. 



* According to Capt. Holboll. 



