262 Transactions . — Zoology. 



Two skulls— young and old— of this animal are in the Auckland Museum. 

 Drawings of the younger specimen are given on plate XVI ., figs. 3 and 4. 



BEEARDIUS HECTORI, Gray. 



Postscript, 12th January, 1875. — A complete specimen of this interesting 

 form of ziphoid whale was cast ashore in Lyall Bay, and the following 

 preliminary notes are given of the external form and measurements, and of 

 the chief points of interest connected with the skeleton, which has been 

 roughly prepared. I am indebted to Mr. H, H. Travers for informing me 

 of the stranding of this whale, and although we were out by daylight the 

 following morning, some mischievous boys had unfortunately been before us 

 and had chopped off the point of the lower mandible for the sake of 

 obtaining the teeth, and thereby injured to some extent the value of the 

 specimen. There is no doubt, however, that in this case, as in the specimen 

 which I described last year in Vol. VI., p. 86, as coming"/rom the Kaikouras, 

 the teeth were lateral and opposite the posterior edge of the symphysis of the 

 lower jaw, and not at the tip as in the original type. 



External CJiaraciers. 



Male 



Total length of body 

 Girth behind pectorals 

 Snout to eye 



i • ••• • • • 



• # • ••• ••• • •> • 



» & 



cape 



„ pectoral 

 Pectoral — length 

 Snout to back fin 

 Back fin — height 

 „ length 

 „ anterior margin 



• • • • 



• • 



• • • 



• • • • • t • ■ « 



• c • 



• 9 • 9 • 



• • • 



• • • • • 



f f # ••• • • • » * * 



a • 



• •• •■• ••• #•• 



• « • 



• • • • • • 



9 • • 



Ft. In. 



15 6 



7 6 



2 

 1 3 



3 3 

 1 7 

 9 



9 



1 

 1 4 

 1 9 

 1 6 



1 



Snout to blow-hole 



Width between eyes 



Diameter of eye 



Tail strongly keeled. Colour, black all over. 



Form very compressed towards the tail, with a strong vertical ridge on 



fluke basis. 



Ft. In. 



Height of compressed body in front of fluke ... ... 1 



1 3 



1 9 



Base of fluke 

 Length of each fluke 



• »* ••• •■• • # • 



• • • 



Posterior margin of flukes nearly straight. Genital organ directly under 



ttior margin of dorsal and 1 5 inches before the anus. 



Che outline is regular to opposite the dorsal, where there is~a sudden 



