264 LILLJEBORG ON THE 



processus coracoideus. Its width is nearly twice as great as its length, while in the Ostend whale it is 

 not quite 1| of its length,^ The os humeri is more elongated in B. laticeps. Its length is about twice its 

 width at the middle. Its length in the Ostend whale is not twice as great as its width, according to 

 Eschricht's figure. The difference in this is greater according to Dubar's figure ; it seems, however, on 

 the whole, insignificant. The lower arm-bones, on the contrary, differ very much in their form. Their 

 elongate slender form is characteristic of B. laticeps, which in this differs from all other known 

 Balænopteræ. The radius is but slightly wider than the ulna. The length of the former is about 

 9 times its width at the middle.^ The length of the latter about 11 times its width. The length of 

 radius is about 5 times its width at the middle, according to Eschricht's figure of the anterior 

 extremity ; that of the ulna is about 6 times its width. Both radius and ulna seem to be wider in 

 Dubar's figure than in that of Eschricht. The fingers of the Ostend whale are much longer than those 

 of the B. laticeps, and have much longer phalanges, and differ even in the number of the latter. The 

 1st finger has, according to Eschricht, 5 phalanges, the 2nd 5, the 3rd 6, and the 4th 3. The 1st 

 finger, according to Dubar, has 4, the 2nd 7, the 3rd 6, and the 4th 5.^ I counted on the skeleton of 

 B. laticeps in Bergen 3 phalanges on the 1st finger, 6 on the 2nd, 5 on the 3rd, and 2 on the 4th.* All 

 these deviations evidently show specific difference ; and it may be added, that the dorsal fin on 

 the large specimens of the Giant whale is only 4" high, while on small specimens of the other, 

 it is sometimes 1'4". The elongated form of the phalanges seems to be quite characteristic of this whale; 

 and as the Greenland Tunnolik described by Eschricht, both in this respect and in the form of the 

 anterior extremities generally, seems to correspond with the Ostend whale, I have not hesitated to 

 consider them of the same species, notwithstanding several deviations in their external parts, according 

 to the descriptions by Van Breda and Moller. The most remarkable deviation in these descriptions is 

 that in the width of the pectoral fins ; but as these in the Greenland specimen, both with and without 

 flesh, according to Eschricht, corresponded most closely with Dubar's figures of these fins on the 

 Ostend whale, the difference must be in consequence of some erroneous statement from either side. 

 Such errors may be found even in the other statements, and unfortunately too often occur in the ex- 

 ternal descriptions of whales generally. The statements of the length of the body by Dubar and Van 

 Breda, differing so widely, bear evidence of such a mistake. We have no reliable evidence of this 

 whale appearing in the seas near the coasts of Scandinavia ; but as it inhabits the North Sea and the 

 Polar Sea, and has been obtained near Ostend and near Greenland, it is probable that it also exists 

 near Norway. I was informed by the " præparator" at the zoological museum at Bergen, formerly a 



^ It must be noticed, however, that the skeleton of B. laticeps described by Rudolphi, as well as the 

 one in Bergen, are from young specimens. 



^ The length is here taken in a straight line between the two articulating surfaces. 



^ His figure, however, represents only 4 phalanges on the 4th finger. 



* The length of this extremity in the Giant whale, which Eschricht considers of importance, does 

 not seem to be significant. It is of about equal length in the succeeding species. It is only the 

 length of the phalanges that are distinguishing. The reason why Eschricht found the length of this 

 extremity very different in the Ostend whale and the Greenland specimen of this whale on the one hand, 

 and the Herring whale [B. laticeps) on the other, is, that the length of those of the latter has been esti- 

 mated from the measurements given by Rudolphi, " 3 fuss, 6^ zoll," which were taken on the external 

 pectoral fin before the whale was skeletonized, while those of the others have been taken from the caput 

 ossis humeri inclusive on the pectoral fin after separation from the body. The measurement stated 

 below of the anterior extremity of the skeleton of the Herring whale in the museum in Bergen shows 

 that it has this extremity of equal length with the Giant whale. 



