Gray. — New Zealand Cetaceans. 93 



Art. XVIII. — Notes on Dr. Ilector^s Paper on the Whales and Dolphins of 

 the New Zealand Seas.^ 



By J. E. Gray, PI1.D., F.R.S., Hon.Mem.KZ.Inst. 

 [Read before the Wellington Philosophical Society, 6th August, 1873.] 

 This paper contains many most valuable observations, and adds considerably to 

 our former knowledge of tlie Cetacea of the southern regions, as shown in the 

 appended list. It is very interesting as confirming the existence of the genera 

 Gramp>us and Beluga in the Southern or Antarctic seas. It is accompanied by 

 tracings of the skull of Epiodon chathamiensis, of the lower jaw of Mesoplodon 

 layardi, the ear-bones (represented half the natural size) of Neohahena 

 tnarginata, Megaptera ?, Berardius arnouxi, and B. hectori. 



1. Neohalcena marginata. 



The discovery that the baleen named Balcena riiarginata, and that the ear 

 bones upon which I first established the genus Caperea, belong to this whale, 

 is entirely due to Dr. Hector, and I gladly accept the correction, although it 

 has alwaj^s appeared to me that the baleen is very narrow and long for a 

 whale with such a broad upper jaw, compared with that of the Northern Right 

 Whale ; bub that may be a peculiarity of the group. The combination of 

 the characters thus brought together indicates an entirely new group of 

 whales, which .1 propose to call Neohalcenidoi. The form of the skull and ear 

 bones is peculiar, and very different from that of any known group of Cetacea, 

 and I have always found that the characters derived from these parts are 

 connected with peculiar modifications of the external form. The removal of 

 the ear-bone of Neohalcena from the fVimily Balcenidce, makes the character 

 from that bone in that family as imiform as it is in the other families of 

 Balcejioidea. The form and structure of the whalebone is finer, but very 

 similar to that of the Greenland Right Whale, and shows an affinity of 

 this family to the Balcenida^; biit the structure of the head is more like that 

 of Physalidoi, as far as we can judge from the figure, never having had an 

 opportunity of seeing the skull itself. The dilated character of the lower 

 jaw is peculiar, and, no doubt, characteristic. The face, or ratlier the 

 maxillae and intermaxillee, are broad for a whale having such long and slender 

 baleen. 



We await the discovery and description of the complete Neohalcena with 

 great anxiety. If it is the Sulphur-bottom, or Fin-fish, it will be even more 

 interesting, as removing that often mentioned, and hitherto undetermined, 

 whale from our books. 



* The paper referred to appeared in the Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist, for Feb., 1873, 

 and has since been incorporated with Art. XIX., Vol. V., Trans. N.Z. Inst. 



