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VIII. On the Anatomy of Balsenoptera rostrata. By Alexander Carte, A.M . , M.D. 
Univ. Dubl ., F.R C.S.I., M.B.I.A., F.L.8. Bond., Hon. Mem. Imp. Zool. and Bot. 
Soc. Vienna , &c., and Alexander Macalister, M.D., L.B.C.S.I., Demonstrator of 
Anatomy B.C.S.I. Communicated by W. H. Flower, F.B.S. 
Received June 20, — Read June 20, 1867. 
Opportunities for the careful dissection of the larger Cetaceans are so rare that the 
memoirs on their structure are still very imperfect. Hitherto the greater part of our 
information on the softer tissues of these animals has been due to the investigations of 
Hunter, Knox, Jacob, Eschricht, Reinhardt, and Lilljeborg ; and even these distin- 
guished anatomists have left their results more or less incomplete, partly owing to the 
infrequency of the captures, and partly to the numerous difficulties attendant on making 
a minute and careful investigation of creatures so unwieldy. 
The capture of a small cetacean on the Irish coast off Clogher Head, a fishing-station 
near Drogheda, about 30 miles north of Dublin, having afforded a favourable opportunity 
of making some further examinations into the anatomical details of one of the species, 
we willingly took advantage of it ; but owing unfortunately to the length of time that 
elapsed from the period of the capture of the animal before it came into our possession, 
we were not able to make an examination of the brain and spinal cord, which we regret, 
as it would have added to the completeness of this communication. 
The animal was captured on the 8th of May, 1863, by a fisherman, in whose nets it 
had become entangled, and after having been exhibited for a few days to the public at 
Drogheda, it was for a similar purpose brought to Dublin, where, after the lapse of a 
fortnight, we were enabled to procure it for anatomical examination, which we com- 
menced on the 20th, after first having obtained, through the kindness of Mr. William 
H. Baily, of the Geological Survey, an accurate drawing of the external form of the 
animal, which was made on a scale of one inch to the foot. This drawing is reproduced 
on one of our Plates, an explanation of which will be found at the end of the paper. 
On examination the animal proved to be the Piked Whale of Pennant, Balcma 
rostrata of O. Fabricius, or that described by Lac^pede and Cuvier as B. acuto-rostrata 
or Baleine museau-pointu, and identical with the Balccna minimus borealis or Borqualus 
minor of Knox, Pterobalcena minor of Eschricht, Balcenoptera rostrata of Gray, 
B. Eschrichtii of Rasch. 
• Our specimen was considerably larger than that described by Knox, but in most other 
respects agreed with the description he has given of that individual. 
Its body, though robust, was not quite so large in proportion to its length as in the 
animal caught at Cherbourg, whose girth, as recorded by Lacepede, was 10' 2", its length 
mdccclxviii. 2 G 
