342 



transactions. — Zoology. 



that it is the only ziphioid whale that has three cervical vertebrsB anchylosed 

 and four separate ;* but Berardius has this character, and the two skeletons 

 of ill. hectori differed in this respect, one having two and the other four 

 vertebrae anchylosed. 



Although it is most probable that the hypertrophy of the teeth in this 

 sx^ecies is only analogous to the overgrown tusks occasionally met with in 

 wild boars, it may be as well for the present to treat it as a character of 

 specific value until further information is obtained about this whale in its 

 earlier stages of growth. 



As an aid to the comparison of the various forms comprised in this most 

 puzzling genus MesojAodon, I have compiled the following table of measure- 

 ments from the various sources at command : — 



Length of skull 



A. 



28-0 



B. 

 30-0 



C. 

 23-5 



Dr 



E. 



F. 



G. 



H. 



I. 



K. 



L. 



29-5 



31-0 



36-5 



37-0? 



35-0? 



24-0? 



41-7 



.. 



„ of cranium 



11-5 



12-0 



8-5 



10-5 



13-0 



13-5 



14-0 



13-5 



9-0 



15-7 



.. 



,, of beak 



17-5 



18-0 



15-0 



19-0 



18-0 



23-0 



22-5 



21-5 



15-0 



26-0 



.. 



„ of mandible 



24-5 



25-5 



19-0 



2o-5 



.. 



34-0 



31-0 . 



30-0 



19-0 



34-7 



32-0 



,, of symphyses 



7-0 



5-2 



6-0 



6-0 





14-0 



11-0? 



10-0? 



5-0? 



8-0 



10-0 



Frontal width 



12-0 



12-5 



9-5 



11-0 



11-0 



14-0 



12-0 



12-0 



9-5 



15-0 



15-0? 



Distance of tooth from 

 tip of mandible . , 



8-0 



3-0 



1-0 



4-0 



•• 



11-0 



10-5 



10-0 



5-0 



8-7 



11-5 



A. — Mesoplodon soiverbyi, Van Beneden. 





B.— M. europcEus, Van Beneden, 





C. — M. hectori, Tetai Bay, Colonial Museum. 





D.— „ LyaUBay, 





E. — Skull in Canterbury Museum, no mandible. 





F.— Skull m Otago Museum (PI. XVII). 





G.—Oulodon, No. I., v. Haast. ) ^ ^^ xi ^ ^ i i .i i i, >.■ + ^ 

 -NT TT ' these the total length has been estimated 

 H. ,, JNo. ii., ,, |- ^j^g other proportions. 

 I. — „ No. III., „ j 



from 



K. — Mesoplodoji floiveri, Haast. 



L. — 31. Imjardi, Chatham Islands, Colonial Museum. Breadth computed fron 

 tances between articular surfaces. 



I dis- 



11. ZiPHius CAViKOSTRis, Cuvier. 



Epiodon cliatliamiensis, Hector ; Trans. N.Z. Inst., V., 164. 

 Epiodon nova-zealandice, v. Haast ; Trans. N.Z. Inst., IX., 430. 

 Dr. von Haast has given an elaborate description of the second complete 

 skeleton of this whale yet obtained, the first, which is in the museum at 



* Loc. cit., 446. 



