KILLED IN THE FRITH OF FORTH. 



391 



The lumbar vertebrae are distinguished by the 

 want of articular surfaces at the extremity of their 

 transverse processes, and could be otherwise easily 

 distinguished in the beluga, by these transverse 

 processes increasing in breadth at their extremity .; 

 but this probably is merely a character belonging 

 to the species, as it is wanting in the transverse 

 processes of the lumbar vertebras of the other ani- 

 mal to which I have alluded. 



The caudal vertebras are distinguished by pro- 

 cesses projecting sternad, and bifurcated at the 

 base, leaving a pasage in their bifurcations for the 

 transmission of the large bloodvessels. The first 

 of these vertebrae is likewise distinguished from all 

 the rest, by the largeness of its size, and by deep 

 grooves upon the lateral and dorsal aspects, for 

 lodging the tendons that pass towards the tail. 



All the spinous processes of the cervical and dor- 

 sal vertebrae, have a distinct inclination sacrad, and 

 several from the last of the dorsal vertebrae, as 

 well as the whole arising from the lumbar and cau- 

 dal vertebrae, are placed at such distances from one 

 another, that not one-half of the spinal canal is 

 covered at the sides, nor at the back in the caudal 

 region, by these processes. In the caudal region, 

 no oblique or articular processes are to be observed ; 

 and even in the lumbar, and the sacral half of the 

 dorsal region, we discover only two for each verte- 

 brae, and these originating from the atlantal mar- 

 gin of the spinous processes, and in some cases, as 



