Haast. — Notes on Balfenoptera rostrata, 173 



The sternum of the Sumuer skeleton is somewhat different from the one 

 figured in the " Osteographie des Cetaces," and I therefore add a figure of 

 the former (Plate III.) from which, it will be observed that that bone is more 

 rounded in its anterior portion, more keeled, but that it resembles in its 

 posterior portion that of J5. robusta, as figured on page 283 of Lilljeborg's 

 Memoir on the Scandinavian Cetacea in Eecent Memoirs on the Cetacea, 

 published by the Eay Society. From the latter it is, however, distinguished 

 in being rounded in its anterior portion. 



It has therefore not altogether the form of a Latin cross, according to 

 Van Beneden and Gervais, as observed in other skeletons examined by them. 

 However, as all the other bones show no difference fi-om those of the nor- 

 thern skeletons, we can safely assume that the form of the sternum is not of 

 specific value, and that other skeletons of B. rostrata Will be obtained in 

 which the sternum will resemble the one under consideration. 



Of those portions of the skeleton showing any peculiarity, the cervical 

 vertebrae have to be mentioned, although in the northern skeletons a similar 

 asymmetry has also been observed. 



Cervical Vertebrce. 



All the seven cervical vertebra are free. However, as the terminal 

 epiphyses of the body of the vertebrae throughout are still sejDarate, thus 

 proving the animal to be of immature age, we cannot claim this as a specific 

 character for the southern species, as Dr. Gray has done. 



In fact, according to Dr. Hector, the second and the third cervicals in 

 Gray's type siJecimen in the British Museum show marks of adhesion, and 

 specimens of these vertebrse in the Colonial Museum are as firmly anchy- 

 losed as in S. rostrata.'^' 



Of these cervical vertebrae the axis and the sixth have the two lateral 

 processes on both sides formed into a ring, the extremity of the former 

 being square, and of the latter pointed. The upper transverse process on 

 the left side of the fifth cervical vertebra is as long as that of the sixth, but 

 is not united to the lower process, the latter not reaching within one and 

 three-quarter inches of the extremity of the ux^per one. On the right side 

 of this fifth cervical they are united and form a ring, the anterior end being 

 thin and more square than that of the sixth. On the seventh the upper 

 transverse process, which is also directed forward and compressed from 

 before backwards, is large, while the lower appears as a small protuberance. 



Dorsal Vertebra. 



There are ten dorsal vertebrae. 



A similar protuberance (for the parapophysis) exists also in the first 

 dorsal vertebra, of which the diapophysis is still compressed from before 



♦ Hector in " Trans. N.Z. Inst." Vol. X., p. 337. 



