Haast — Notes on Ziphius (Epiodou) — Goose-beaked Whale. 245 



is no doubt in my mind that with them the teeth in front of the lower 

 jaw are both permanent and of larger size than those of the females, just in 

 the same manner as they exist in other Ziphioid genera. Fortunately, how- 

 ever, there is some evidence at hand strengthening such an hypothesis. 



Dr. Hector, in his account of the skull of Epiodon chathamiensis* 

 obtained in the Chatham Islands, describes the teeth of this species, as 

 follows: — "The lower jaw * * * terminates in two, short, stout, slightly 

 compressed teeth, 2 inches long, and 4 inches in circumference, implanted 

 in shallow sockets. The teeth have slight, irregular stri®, and are worn 

 down into two lateral facets, divided by an acute ridge. The position of 

 the teeth, when the jaws are closed, is 2 inches beyond the upper mandible, 

 and unless they are applied agaiust callosities on the upper lip, it is difficult 

 to conceive how they are worn down to this acute form. Weight of teeth 

 817 and 836 grains." 



" Two teeth, of similar form, taken from the jaw of a whale cast up on 

 the Manawatu beach, have then- facets forming an obtuse pyramidical tip.' 

 Of this last pan- of teeth no weight is given, but it is evident, from the drawing, 

 that they must be as heavy as the former. The teeth of the females, 

 examined by me, range from 62 to 200 grains. There is no doubt that the 

 form and chief characteristic featm'es of the skull from the Chatham 

 Islands, described as Epiodon chathamiensis, and those of the two female 

 whales secured by me, are almost identical, if we except the teeth, which in 

 the former are at least four times as heavy as in the latter. In my paper 

 on Ziphius novcB-zealandia, in Vol. IX., of the Transactions of the New Zea- 

 land Institute, I pointed out already that the skull of this Chatham Island 

 whale might have belonged to the male of Ejnodon novm-zealandice , thus 

 accounting for the difference. After having seen the two female animals 

 stranded on our beach, scarred in such a remarkable manner, I am more 

 than ever inclined to this opinion. If the three specimens alluded to had 

 been males, it would be easy enough to understand that the wounds had 

 been inflicted during then- fights in rutting time, or for supremacy, as this 

 is the case with most of the terrestrial animals. However, the fact that 

 the wounds inflicted in striking against the animal, by which the oval scars 

 were produced, are mostly in close proximity to the pudendum, suggests 

 forcibly that they have been inflicted by male animals. In respect to the 

 external appearance of the different species of other Ziphioid genera, such 

 as Mesopludon, Berardius, and Oulodon, of which several specimens, both 

 male and female, have been examined by me, I may state that none of 

 them had the least scar or wound upon them. 



Of course, this may be accounted for by the fact, that the teeth of most 

 of these genera are situated so far backwards that they could scarcely be used 



* Trans. N.Z. Inst,, Vol. V., p. 165. 



