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. 



BERARDIUS 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^from 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 Cliaracters. 

 Male- 

 Total length of body 

 Girth behind pectorals 

 Snout to eye 

 „ gape 

 ,, pectoral 

 Pectoral — length 

 Snout to back fin 

 Back fin — height 

 „ length 

 „ anterior margin 

 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 the 

 fluke basis. 



Height of compressed body in front of fluke 



Base of fluke 



Length of each fluke ... ... 



Posterior margin of flukes nearly stniight. Genital organ directly under 

 posterior margin of dorsal and 15 inches before the anus. 



The outline is regular to opposite the dorsal, where there is'a sudden 



Ft. 



In. 



15 



6 



7 



6 



2 







1 



3 



3 



3 



1 



7 



9 











9 



1 







1 



4 



1 



9 



1 



6 







1 



Ft. 



In. 



1 







1 



3 



1 



9 



