12. BELUGA. 307 



down belo-w the middle of the hinder edge. — Gray, Zool. Ereh. & 

 Terror, t. 29. fig. 3. 



Delphinopterus, Lac^. C6t. 243. 

 Delphinapterus, F. Cuv. B. 8. N. lix. 517, 1829. 

 ■Beluga, Mqfin. Anal. Nat. 60, 1816; Gray, Spic. Zool. 2, 1828; Zool. 

 Erebus 8f Terror; Cat. Cetac. B. M. 77; Proc. Zool. Soc. 1863, 201 ; 

 1864,246; Lesson, Man.; Bell, Brit. Quad. 1837. 

 Delphis, Wagler, N. S. AmpJi. 34, 1830. 

 Delphinus (pars), Imrn. ; BUger, Prod. 148, 1811. 

 Catodon (pars), Artedi, Gen. 78 ; Fleming, B. A. 29. 

 Cetiis (pars), Brisson, £. A. i. 227, 1762. 

 Physeter (pars), Linn. S. iV. 

 Cachalot (pars), Lacep. Cet. 

 Phocsena (pars), F. Cuv. Cetae. 



There is a great similarity in the general form of the skulls of 

 Phoccena, Beluga, and Monoeeros ; bnt, independently of the size and 

 teeth, they dififer in the form of the convexity in front of the blower ; 

 in Belvga the front of the blower is flattigh, in Monoeeros there is a 

 broad, half-oblong convexity, and in Phoccena a squarish tuberosity. 



The genus DelpMnapterus was formed by Lacepede to contain this 

 animal (which he before described as a Catodon) and the Delphinus 

 Senedette, which is probably an imaginary figure of a Sperm Whale 

 made from description, or perhaps of B. Orca with the dorsal fin left 

 out. It has been applied by Peron, Cuvier, and others to a very 

 different animal. 



Professor Owen observes, the prefrontal bones are large and coalesce 

 with the vomer, and ascend into view at the back part of the nostrils, 

 where they coalesce with the frontals. The nasal bones are wedged 

 into an interspace between them and the frontals, at the summit of 

 the nasal apertures. — Cat. Osteal. Coll. Surg. 464. n. 2506. 



Fig. 61. 



Skull of Beluga Catodon, Ouv. t. 22. f 5. 



1. Beluga Catodon. The Northern Beluga. 



White ; young black ; the nose of the skull in length neai-ly one- 



X 2 



