130 



Art. XIX. — Short Notice of a remarkable Tooth of a Cetacean. 

 By F. J. Knox, L.R.C.S.E. 



[Eead before the Wellington Philosojjhical Society, November 12, 1870.] 



The tootli now exhibited before the Society is the property of a friend, and 

 in the conrse of a conversation with him, was kindly shown to me. I observed 

 numerous points of difference from the specimens in my possession — 

 unmistakably recognized as those of the Cachalot, or sperm whale; aod, by the 

 kind permission of my friend, had a section made of it, carrying the saw as 

 neai-ly as possible in a curved line, following the axis of the tooth. This 

 truly magnificent section, for the cutting of which I am indebted to my 

 friend, Mr. Kebbell, displays a surface at once of the most artistic 

 beauty, and, to me, perfectly novel. The nearly total absence of a dental 

 cavity for the nervoiis pulp, found in all the teeth of the Cachalot I have had 

 an opportunity of examining, and, indeed, the general form of the . tooth, 

 viewed externally, suggests to me the probability of its having been the tooth 

 of a dolphin, allied to the Ziphid family of Dr. Gray ; and looking over 

 Dr. Gray's Catalogue, my attention was forcibly drawn to that of the 

 Ziphius Sowerhii, of which an engraving is given (Table 37). 



It appears that the specimen of the skull from which the engraving is 

 taken is in the Oxford Museum, and the engraving appeared when fii-st seen 

 by me so vmnatural as to create a doubt in my mind as to its history, and 

 consequent value to science. It would be most interesting to obtain the 

 history of the cranium, however meagre, more especially as to the external 

 appearance of the animal previous to dissection. Did the teeth pi'otrude 

 through the gum 1 This is a most important point, as in the case of Hunter's 

 Bottle-nose, the animal has evidently been christened under different names 

 by succeeding naturalists not less than six or eight times. 



Art. XX. — Observations on Coridodax pullus. By F. J. Knox, L.E.C.S.E. 



(With Illustrations.) 



[Read before the Wellington Philosojjhical Society, October 22, 1870.] 



The specimen forming the subject of this brief notice was of medium size, 

 and gave the following weight and measurements : — 



Weight ....... 4 lbs. 4 ozs. 



Measurements. 



ft. in. lines. 

 From tip of snout to tip of tail (straight) . 18 6 



Greatest girth behind ventral fin . . 10 



