Haasr— Notes on Ziphius (Epiodon)—Goose-beaked Whale. 245 
is no doubt in my mind that with them the teeth in front of the lower 
jaw are both permanent and of larger size than those of the females, just in 
the same manner as they exist in other Ziphioid genera, Fortunately, how- 
ever, there is some evidence at hand strengthening such an hypothesis. 
Dr. Hector, in his account of the skull of Epiodon chathamiensis,* 
obtained in the Chatham Islands, describes the teeth of this species, as 
follows:—'*Thelowerjaw * * terminates in two, short, stout, slightly 
compressed teeth, 2 inches long, and 4 inches in circumference, implanted 
in shallow sockets. The teeth have slight, irregular strie, and are worn 
down into two lateral facets, divided by an acute ridge. The position of 
the teeth, when the jaws are closed, is 2 inches beyond the upper mandible, 
and unless they are applied against callosities on the upper lip, it is difficult 
to conceive how they are worn down to this acute form. Weight of teeth 
817 and 836 grains." 
** Two teeth, of similar form, taken from the jaw of a whale cast up on 
the Manawatu beach, have their facets forming an obtuse pyramidical tip.’ 
Of this last pair of teeth no weight is given, but it is evident, from the drawing, 
that they must be as heavy as the former. The teeth of the females, 
examined by me, range from 62 to 200 grains. There is no doubt that the 
form and chief characteristic features of the skull from the Chatham 
Islands, described as Epiodon chathamiensis, and those of the two female 
whales secured by me, are almost identical, if we except the teeth, which in 
the former are at least four times as heavy as in the latter. In my paper 
on Ziphius nove-zealandia, in Vol. IX., of the Transactions of the New Zea- 
. land Institute, I pointed out already that the skull of this Chatham Island 
whale might have belonged to the male of Epiodon nove-zealandia, thus 
accounting for the difference. After having seen the two female animals 
stranded on our beach, scarred in such a remarkable manner, I am more 
than ever inclined to this opinion. If the three specimens alluded to had 
been males, it would be easy enough to understand that the wounds had 
been inflicted during their fights in rutting time, or for supremacy, as this 
is the case with most of the terrestrial animals. However, the fact that 
the wounds inflicted in striking against the animal, by which the oval scars 
were produced, are mostly in close proximity to the pudendum, suggests 
forcibly that they have been inflicted by male animals. In respect to the 
external appearance of the different species of other Ziphioid genera, such 
as Mesoplodon, Berardius, and Oulodon, of which several specimens, both 
male and female, have been examined by me, I may state that none of 
them had the least scar or wound upon them. 
Of course, this may be accounted for by the fact, that the teeth of most 
of these genera are situated so far backwards that they could scarcely be nsed 
* Trans. N.Z, Inst,, Vol. V., p. 165, 
