Frederick W. True

“ Zoölogically, whales, or mammallia of the cetacean order, are divided into two great families, — 'blowing' cetacea, so called from the habit of spouting water through the nasal openings or spiracles in the top of the head; and 'herbivorous' cetacea (Manati) . The family of 'blowing' cetacea is divided into two tribes, — the tribe of whales (Balaena) ; and the dolphin tribe, distinguished mainly by the size and shape of the head. ”

“ The metapophysis is flat and squared, and there is no lower facet on the side of the centrum. On the eighth thoracic the metapophysis is thin, squared, and vertical, and a well-formed transverse process appears on the side of the centrum. The transverse processes of the ninth thoracic are a little curved backward, and on the first lumbar and succeeding vertebræ bent forward. These processes are less tapering on all the lumbars than in the Newport skeleton. They disappear on the eighth caudal. None is perforated. ”

“ The skull of this Nantucket specimen, which I have before me, is thoroughly adult. That the specimen is a female is probable from the fact that the teeth (one of which is preserved) , though fully developed, are only two-thirds as broad and three-fourths as long as those of Sowerby’s specimen (the type of the species) , which was an adult male. [7] The skull is 765 mm. long, and about 30 mm. are lacking from the end of the beak, so that the original length was about 795 mm. It appears to be, therefore, rather the largest skull of the species of which there is any record. ”

“ D. S. Jordan, president of Stanford University, called my attention to a small whale, which stranded on the coast of Oregon, 11⁄2 miles south of the United States life-saving station on South Beach, Yaquina Bay, near Newport, in February, and proved later to represent the present species. Doctor Jordan’s information was obtained from Mr. J. G. Crawford, of Albany, Oregon, who wrote him in part as follows, under date of March 7, 1904:
Herewith I enclose a stereograph of a head of a member of the whale family, which I made at Yaquina Bay, Oregon. ”

“ In the cavity of the skull is a septum of bone separating the cerebrum from the cerebellum (i. e., the tentorium) . The first rib is very wide and short, and presents a marked contrast to the others. The sternum is quite flat and wide. The pectoral fins are small, and have been carefully preserved, with the various carpal and phalangeal bones kept together by their natural ligaments. As the skeleton stands, the fins consist only of the scapula, the humerus, the radius, and the ulna, with but few phalanges. ”

“ Returning now to the question of the validity of grebnitzkii as a species, I would say that after comparing the measurements of the Bering Island skulls with those of the Atlantic coast specimens, and comparing the skulls themselves, I have been unable to find any constant difference of importance, except the size and form of the periotic bone. As the earbones are lacking from many of the skulls, the series available for comparison is small. ”

“ Newport (male) .—The seventh cervical vertebra presents a conical metapophysis, which on the first thoracic vertebra forms of a rather thick, long, declining process ending in a facet for the tubercle of the first rib. This metapophysis maintains nearly the same form as far as the sixth thoracic vertebra, but on the third thoracic a mammiliform process makes its appearance on the anterior margin near the tip, and becomes more prominent on each succeeding vertebra. ”

“ In a young skull, however, one would not expect to find a high ridge. The palatines are visible from above, which is not the case in bidens.
The maxillary foramen is situated a little in advance of the premaxillary foramen and is directed forward, and, as Dr. Glover M. Allen has pointed out, connects with a broad groove which runs forward along the triangular, horizontal portion of the maxilla at the base of the beak. The maxillæ are much broader behind the notch than in bidens, and the anterior end of the malar forms the bottom of the notch. ”

“ In the genus Ziphius, as in other ziphioid genera, a study of the characters of the skull appears to afford the best basis for discrimination of species. We have first to consider whether the North American species is the same as the European and New [32] Zealand species, and afterwards whether the North Pacific species is identical with or distinct from these. ”

“ The groove between the maxillary and the nuchal crest is very shallow. The maxillary notch is deep. The beak is long, making only a little less than half the length of the entire skull. Nares straight; right nasal larger than the left one, but not very much. The occipital condyles do not come in contact beneath the foramen magnum; the symphysis of the lower jaw is very short, amounting to only one-fifth of the whole length of the jaw. ”

“ In the Oregon skull of stejnegeri, the breadth between the post-orbital processes does not exceed the length from the occipital condyles to the maxillary notches. The skull is, therefore, narrower in proportion to its length than in any other species of the genus except hectori, as represented by the skull figured by Flower. This skull was, however, that of a young individual. It is probable that in adults of this species the skull is broader than in stejnegeri. ”

“ It also tapers toward the head, terminating in a sharp beak, the upper jaw being about 16 and the lower 19 inches long.
On each side in the lower jaw well to the front is a conical tooth, the crown of which is exposed one-half an inch. The head is full and rounded, resembling that of an elephant, with depressions corresponding to the ears, and small eyes a little ahead and below.
On top of head is a heart-shaped opening, evidently for breathing purposes. There is also evidence of a dorsal fin, while each fork of tail is 31⁄2 feet or so long. ”

“ Although all the specimens of Berardius bairdii are more or less incomplete, two or three of the mandibular teeth have been preserved in nearly every instance; namely, in the adult female from St. George Island, the left anterior and right and left posterior; in the immature male from the same island, both anterior teeth; in the Centerville beach specimen, the left anterior and right (?) posterior teeth; in the skull from Bering Island formerly regarded as the type, all four teeth; in the very young skull from Bering Island, the left anterior and posterior teeth. ”

“ As no part of the Kiska specimen was preserved, it is not possible, of course, to identify it positively with grebnitzkii or even with the genus Ziphius. No one who compares the photographs reproduced in Pl. 41, figs. 3 and 4, can, I think, fail to be convinced that both represent animals of the same genus and that the Pacific species (whether grebnitzkii or not) bears the strongest possible resemblance to the Atlantic one.
Doctor Egbert published the following note on the Kiska specimen in 1905:
Early in September a monster dolphin grounded on the beach in Kiska Harbor and was killed. ”

“ On the other hand, the latter show a most extraordinary diversity in color, some being black, with the head and back as far as the dorsal fin white; others all black above, white [35] below, and the head black and brown. The color of the young specimen from Buenos Ayres, Argentina, is described by Burmeister as follows:
All the body of the animal is of a light gray color, a little yellowish, resembling the color of light ash, but much darker on the back and much lighter on the belly. ”

“ Besides the difference in the size and form of the teeth in the two sexes, it is probable, as will be seen by consulting the foregoing data, that in the female the apex of the teeth does not extend more than a very small distance above the alveoli even in mature individuals, and probably often not more than a few millimeters; while in adult males the teeth are almost entirely protruded from the alveoli, which are filled with a coarse bony network. ”

“ Neural spine expanded at free end, and superior margin rounded.
Eighth thoracic: Metapophyses similar to those of Barnegat skeleton. A distinct transverse process nearly as broad as the length of the centrum, oblong or squared, flat, directed somewhat backward, but not upward. Articular facet for rib not occupying whole of free end and only slightly directed backward; anterior margin as in Barnegat skeleton. Neural spine similar to that of seventh thoracic. ”

“ Dimensions of teeth of Berardius arnuxii and B. bairdii.
Column headings: A: Greatest height. B: Greatest breadth. a Tip more or less acute. b Van Beneden’s measurements are slightly different. c Tip much worn.
A description of the teeth of the different specimens of B. bairdii is subjoined.
No. 142118.—Bering Island; young (new born?) . Anterior tooth conical, hollow, with thin walls. The lower half of the tooth is filled with a mass of bony pulp, which is separable. The tooth is widest at the base, and is without any constriction indicating the formation of a root. ”

“ The underside of the animal is too bruised to show anything of importance. The flippers are also in bad shape, one being buried in the sand, while the other is entirely denuded of flesh, leaving a bony stump about 6 inches long and which moves readily in any direction. We think it is a “bottle-nose” whale, but as some claim that they are not to be found on this coast and do not exceed 30 feet in length, it may be something else. ”

“ The skull is that of an adult individual, in nearly perfect condition, with the mandible and teeth. The parts missing are the left malar, the left tympanic bone, the distal ends of the pterygoids and the proximal ends of the premaxillæ. ”