256 Transactions. — Zoology. 



whale of the whalers, having the usual rounded lump or hump on the posterior 

 part of the body. Unfortunately the other bones were not preserved, but the 

 specimen is valuable as it has the ear-bones and the baleen attached, and its 

 history may be relied on. 



The second specimen was obtained at Porirua Harbour, on the north side 

 of Cook Strait, and is the skull of a smaller individual, but in its proportions 

 agrees with the Kaikoura specimen. 



These skulls, which both resemble closely the skull of Balceno2:)tera rostrata^ 

 as figured by Dr. Gray (Synopsis of Whales and Dolphins, 1868, pi. 2), have 

 the following dimensions : — 



Total length 

 Zygomatic width 

 Beak from nasal bone 

 Width of beak at notch 

 „ „ middle 



Length from foramen magnum to front of edge of 



occipital bone ... 

 Width of intermaxillaries in front 



„ „ at blow-hole . . 



Length of blow-hole aperture 



„ lower jaw 



The foramen magnum is 3'5 inches in vertical and 2*5 inches in 

 transverse diameter, and is bounded by two large condyles, separated below 

 by a deep notch 1 inch wide, each condyle being 10* 5 inches long and 5 

 inches wide. 



The brain-case is triangular, sloping, and in A. is convex, with a mesial 

 ridge, but in B. is concave on each side of the ridge, and has a more rounded 

 outline in front. 



The maxillaries are flat and gradually tapering in front of the blow-hole ; 

 the intermaxilliaries are slightly expanded in the middle and project 6 inches 

 beyond the maxillaries to form a sharp-pointed beak ; the nasal bones are 

 solid, triangular, shelving on each side, with a keel-like ridge on the exterior 

 superior margin. 



The lower jaws are strong, curved, solid, rounded externally, with a flat 

 internal surface, and a conical coronoid process that projects 3 inches, and is 

 situated 16 inches from the articular end of each ramus. 



The baleen consists of 300 plates on each side, the length of the concave 

 surface to which it is attached being 5 feet j the longest plates, which arc on 

 the middle part, arc 13 inches in length and 7 inches in width at base. 



A. 



B. 



Ft. In. 



Ft. In. 



7 



6 



4 



4 



4 6 



4 



2 4 



2 4 



1 9 



1 9 



1 9 



1 7 



6 



6 



8 



8 



1 9 



1 7 



7 



6 10 



