Gray. — On Macleayius australiensis. 91 



but over the curve of the uose 10 feet. The length of the vertebrae, 23 feet ; 

 of the lower jaws, 7 feet 8 inches ; of the firat rib, 3 feet 6 inches ; and of the 

 middle rib, 7 feet 4 inches, as measured by Mr. E. Gerrard, jun., who 

 observes that " the last small bone of the tail is wanting. There are eight 

 chevron bones present, but I should think there ought to be one or two more 

 small ones. One malar bone and the epiphyses of three vertebrae are wanting. 

 I also think a few of the finger-joints are wanting, but it is difficult to be sure, 

 as some are loose and others covered with skin ;" but we will determine when 

 it is cleaned. The nasal bone is strap-shaped, more than twice as long as 

 broad, with thick rounded front ends which are notched out in the middle. It 

 is about i\ inches wide. The skull and lower jaw weigh rather above 5-| cwt., 

 each lower jaw being 90 lbs. The ear bone is very thick, triangular, with 

 nearly equal sides. This is very like two ear bones which we have received 

 from South Africa as those of the S. African Whale, Euhalcena austrcdis, and 

 the figures of the ear bones of that species given by Van Beneden (Osteogr. 

 Get, t. I.; II., figs. 13 and 14). The differences between the New Zealand 

 and the Cape Whales are so slight that it would be very difficult to express 

 them in words, and indeed to distingviish the specimens from each other. 



According to Van Beneden, the ear bones of the young Eubaloina OMstralis 

 are much more rounded, and have larger apertures compared with their size, 

 than in the adults (see his figure t. 1 and 2, figs. 10 and 11). 



The OS 2)eti'osicin, to which the New Zealandic specimen is attached, is very 

 like, but rather smaller than the specimens we have of Euhcdcena australis, 

 said to come from the Gape, and like those figured by Van Beneden (Osteogr. 

 Get., t. I. ; t. II., figs. 13 and 14). We have a pair in the Museum very 

 similar to the Cape and New Zealand bones, sent to the Museum as ear bones 

 of the Sperm Whale, by Mr. H. H. Kussell, but they differ from the three 

 other specimens in having a much larger os petrosum and much longer strap- 

 shaped truncated lobe. 



The vertebrae are — seven cervical and forty-seven dorsal and caudal. The 

 body of the first dorsal vertebra is anchylosed with the body of the seventh 

 cervical, and there may be a last caudal vertebra wanting. 



The cervical vertebrae are all united into one mass, and to the first dorsal 

 vertebra by their bodies, and, all but the first dorsal, by the crests of the dorsal 

 processes, v/hich form a high arched ridge ; the crest of the second vertebi'a 

 being much the largest, longest, and highest. All the vertebrae are furnished 

 with a supei-ior lateral process, that of the first and second being free at the 

 base and united at the end ; that of the first very large, compressed, and 

 truncated at the end. The upper one of the second, large, thick, and united 

 to the upper part of the back of the process of the first. The ui)per lateral 

 processes of the third to the seventh, compressed, sleudui', and free; the third 



