)li E. LÖNNBERG, CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FAUNA OF SOUTH GEORGIA. 



the skin. These barnacles (Tubicinélla) had, when alive and fresh, a fine pink and 

 yellowish colour, Söuling says. Round the barnacles the epidermis is hypertrophied 

 so that it protrudes like niore or less complete tubes which may reach a height above 

 the shell of the barnacle of up to 3 cm. As the walls of these tubes are rather thin 

 from 2 to 4 mm. they are seldom quite complete but usually broken off at one 

 side. But even in other places where no barnacles are found the surface of the ex- 

 crescenses is pitted and jagged, and at least on one side, the sample piece rises 3'A 

 cm. above the surface of the surrounding skin. 



These maxillary excrescences are also to be seen on Pl. VII fig. 30, 31 and 

 32. Their size is somewhat variable and it seems as if the hindmost were the largest. 

 In addition to these more or less regular or irregular series on either side of the 

 upper jaw, there appears to be a rather large excrescence just behind the blow-holes 

 (Pl. VII fig. 30 & 32). 



Just above the eye is a very wide excrescence of a similar kind (Pl. VII fig. 

 30 and 31, conf. also textfig. 5). 



Near the end of the mandible there sits on either side of the lower jaw and 

 rather widely apart (conf. Pl. VII fig. 34) a very large excrescence and from that 

 one extends backwards along the jaw a row of about 5 — 6 smaller excrescences the 

 situation of which is shown as well on the sketch fig. 5 as on Pl. VII fig. 30 and 

 34. Their size is a little variable but they are larger than the members of another 

 series of similar excrescences which are placed at the upper margin of the lower lip 

 (conf. the diagram fig. 5). This margin is a little undulated but the situation of 

 the labial excrescences do not seem to have anything to do with this scalloped ap- 

 pearance. The number of the labial excrescenses is in the original of the sketch 

 (fig. 5) four but on the reproduced photos the number appears to be somewhat 

 larger and is perhaps to some degree variable. 



All these excrescenses are in the adult animal the haunts of innumerable quanti- 

 ties of »lice» (Cyami). It could therefore easily be supposed that they were them- 

 selves to be regarded as results of the irritating influence of the »lice» on the skin 

 of the whaie, a hypothese which has been forwarded before. 



Against such a hypothese speaks, however, the fact that the excrescences are 

 already present in the uterine foetus, although they have then a smooth surface. 

 Their actual presence is proved by the photo of the head of such a foetus reprodu- 

 ced in fig. 35 on Pl. VII. This is a very important discovery and it proves that 

 the »bonnet», and the other excrescenses on various parts of the head, of the Black 

 whale are not pathological structures. Beddard has suggested in his »Book of 

 Whales» ' that the »bonnet» could possibly be »a pathological structure, a kind of 

 corn, perhaps produced by the animal rubbing itself against rocks, as this species 

 has been observed to do in order to get rid of the barnacles which are apt to infest 

 it.> This opinion cannot be accepted any longer. Just as little can it be believed 

 that the »bonnet» is a product of barnacles of the genus Coronula, as also has been 



1 London 1900. 



