ON THE ORKNEY ANIMAL. 425 



inches from the first cervical vertebra to the far- 

 thest part that remains of the jaw. 



The diameter of the head of the Squalus maxi- 

 mus, from right to left, at the angle of the mouth, 

 was, according to Mr Home, five feet. Th^ 

 broadest part of the head of the animal of Stronsa 

 is, in its present state, only 4 seven inches. 



The diameter of the larger vertebrae, near the 

 iiead, in the squalus, was, according to Mr Home, 

 seven inches. The first cervical vertebra in the 

 animal of Stronsa, is still adhering to the head *j 

 and is only two inches in diameter. 



Yet some of the vertebrae of this animal, which 

 are still preserved, are six inches and a half in 

 diameter ; and the first vertebras which I saw, 

 were from four to five and a half inches across. 



The smallness of the cervical vertebrae, in the ani- 

 mal of Stronsa, confirms the account of those who 

 saw it, that the animal had a neck. But the Squa- 

 lus maximus, if Mr Home's figure be accurate, 

 had nothing resembling a neck. And, indeed, 

 Artedi observes, that " omnes pisces qui pulmonic 

 ** bus destituuntur, collo quoque carent : Er:r \ 

 *' soli pisces cetacei collum hab#iif The pre- 

 sence of a neck, therefore, as 1 peculiar to cetace - 

 ous fishes, confirms likewise the account of the 

 spiracula or air-holes, ascribed to this animal of 

 Stronsa. 



* Plate ix. fig. 1. 



f Artedi, " Partes fiscium,' ' § 25^... 



