yC MR. ¥. E. BEDDAKD ON THE 



compared witli tliat of the Right Whales. It need hardly be pointed out how very 

 different is this limb from the great paddles of Merjaptera. It is, however, apparently 

 four-fingered as in the Rorquals ; no trace of the additional fifth finger of the Right 

 Whales was to be observed. 



The humerus is short as compared with the radius. The measurements of the 

 smaller individual were 4 inches for the humerus, and 6 for the radius. The pro- 

 portions are a little different in the larger specimen. 



I append for the purpose of comparison a few corresponding measurements from 



other Whalebone Whales : — 



Humerus. Eadius. 



in. in. 



Balienoptera rostrata 7\ 10^ 



B."huttoni"' 7 10| 



B. sibbaldi 15 28 



B. musculus 12 22 



B. musculus 18 31 



Baleena ausiralis 15 15^ 



Mega-ptera 13 34 



It seems to be plain, therefore, that the arm of Neohalcena is like Balcenoptera in its 

 proportions^ just as the hand resembles that genus in being four-fingered. As the ends 

 of the digits are evidently missing, it seems to be useless to enter into any description 

 of the component bones of the hand. 



Bibs. 



The adult or nearly adult skeleton of this whale possesses 17 pairs of ribs, the largest 

 known number in any Whalebone Whale: the nearest approach is seen in Balcmojjtera 

 sihhaldi, where there are 16 ; indeed this latter may possess 17, since the first rib 

 is occasionally double, a cervical being fused with it. As already mentioned, the ribs 

 begin with the second dorsal vertebra, the first having apparently no rib. It is remark- 

 able that in the Cetacea we find precisely what is found in the Manatee and the Sloth — 

 the decrease of the cervical region by the presence of an additional rib belonging to the 

 last cervical, and the increase of the cervical region by the apparent dropping of a rib. 



As is always the case in the Whalebone Whales, only one rib articulates with the 

 sternum. This rib (PI. IX. fig. 6) is very broad below, where it expands into its 

 articular face ; but the broadening is gradual, not sudden ; and it is only the proximal 

 end of the rib which equals the succeeding ribs in diameter. This broadening is very 

 marked indeed, and is more marked than in any other Whalebone Wliales. The Right 

 Whales come nearer in this particular to Neohalcena than do the Rorquals. The general 

 form of the ribs undergoes some modification in the series. The first rib is simply 



' See footnote to p. 95. 



