Naturelle des Cetaces. 183 



filled up by a band of strong white bristles, somewhat like pigeon's 

 quills, which acting like a sieve, hinder the escape of the food when 

 the water is discharged from the mouth. The masticating appa- 

 ratus is quite peculiar. It is composed not of teeth, of which this 

 animal has none, but of two large white bones or dental masses, of 

 which the one adheres to the palate, and the other, its opposite, to 

 the lower jaw. Even the insertion of these bones is peculiar, for it 

 is not into the maxillaries, but they adhere by numerous pores and 

 tubercles corresponding to others respectively on the palate and 

 lower jaw.* Our interest in this curious structure is still farther 

 heightened by the details of a minute examination by Mr Brandt, 

 of certain specimens preserved in the museum of St Petersburgh. 

 He ascertained that they were wholly horny, and composed of fibres 

 agglutinated to one another like the baleen of the whale, and that 

 these fibres, when examined by the microscope, are found to be com- 

 posed of tubes, as is also ascertained to be the case with a great num- 

 ber of hairs.f Plate 7> a, affords a correct representation of these 

 appearances. (This structure associates the Stellerus both with the 

 great whales) and the Dugong ; of which latter Dr Knox remarks, 

 an extremely firm horny-looking substance seems to supply the place 

 of the incisive teeth. It encrusts that remarkable portion of the up- 

 per jaw which, together with a corresponding and opposite one in 

 the lower jaw, similarly encrusted, forms an extraordinary feature in 

 the face of the Dugong."J 



In the discourse concerning the lesser Cetacea generally, there is 

 an account of the osteology of the cranium of the Micropterus of 

 Cuvier, which has not previously been published ; and which, with 

 the accompanying plate, gives an accurate idea of this part of its 

 anatomy. Our author, in this place also, gives a rapid sketch of 

 the anatomical structure of the group, concerning which there is 

 little to call for observation ; if it be not the oracular manner in 

 which he determines the question now agitated regarding the func- 

 tions of the blowing canal, and the spoutings of these animals. The 

 point is discussed and dismissed in these words, " quoique quelques 

 auteurs aient pense le contraire, il parait certain que les narines des 

 dauphins offrent un passage a l'eau que ces animaux puivent avoir 

 besoin de faire sortir de leur arriere bouche : les attestations d'une 

 multitude d'observateurs mettent ce fait hors de doubte."§ What will 

 Mr Scoresby and Blainville say to this? A few details are collected 

 concerning the size of the brain ; but whether in one or more spe- 

 cies we are not informed, and a very firm stand is thereupon made 

 * See p. 48. f See p. 376. \ Edin. Jour, of Science, i. 157. § P. 83. 



