Of the cervical vertebrae of the Cachalot the atlas alone is distinct ; the six others are anchylosed into a single mass by the bodies and spinous apophyses; but the number may be made out by the sides where very delicate laminx interpose between the holes where the nerves pass out There are 14 pairs of ribs and 14 dorsal vertebrfe (perhaps a fifteenth), and 35 others. The dorsal vertebrx have their transverse npophyses short ; their anterior nrticular apo physes nro turned inwards, and embrace the posterior, which look outwards. The spinous processes are less elevated and wide from before backwards. The two last carry the ribs only on the extremity of their transverse apephymes, and not on a facet of their body. On the succeeding vertebra the spinoua apophyses rise, become oblique, and wider nt their summit than at their base. The articulars ascend gradually to their anterior borders, as in the Dolphins : the spinous npophyses shortening by degress, the artienhar apophyses arrive nt their summit on the tail, and finally disappear. The spinous apophyses disappear also on the last caudal vertebrae. The transverse apopbyse.s are at first simple tubercles of the articular apophyses : they do not take the form of distinct npophyses till the three last dorsal vertebra., and afterwards continue on the lumbar and caudal, but always remaining of moderate length, and not dihiting at their extremity. The lower part of the body of the vertebra, counting from the fourth lumbar, is 'strongly carinated. The V-shaped bones do not commence before the twenty-first after the dorsal vertebra. They are at first rather long, and more so than the spinous apophyses to which they correspond ; but afterwards they are a little shortened. The vertebra which carry them hews their lower carnation divided into two truncated ridges, each at the two extremities, so as to form facets for the V-shaped bones, which always articulate between two vertebrae. The caudal vertebra still remain very large up to the six or seven last, which diminish rapidly, losing their different eminences : thus the greatest portion of the spine is nearly much of a size.
The shoulder-blade is concave externally, convex on the side of the ribs, and narrower than in the other Cetaceans : its spinal border is not two-thirds of its height. Its anterior border becomes double below the middle of its height, and gives off from its external ridge is great acromion, more projecting anteriorly than the shoulder-blade is at this point, and enlarged nt its extremity. The internal border gives off near the nrticular head is coracoid apophysis, which projects less than the acromion, and terminates in a point The humerus is very short nud stout, and has at its anterior border a crest, terminated towards the lower part by a hook which represents the deltoidal crest The ulna is anchylosed early to the humerus, even before the epiphysis of this last is milted. The olecrauinn apophysis projects very much, and curves towards the wrist. COssemens Fossiles..) lial
anteriorly, and not in form of tobereles, form the upper border of this aperture. The maxillary does not cover the frontal bone, except by n narrow apophysis on the two sides of the meal bones. Tbe whole portion of the frontal bone which goes on each side to form the orbit is exposed, but the parietal bones cover the upper part of the tem poral foams to the sides of the apophysis of the maxillary bone, which shows itself between the frontal nud the bones of the nose. The occipital bone advances betwetsi them, oral covers the middle of the frontal to near the bones of the noise ; so that at the base of the nose the frontal does not show itself externally. There nro two temporal crests projecting greatly outwards, commencing at the aides of the 110)4e, and between which the skull is flat, or even slightly concave, and descends slotehy towards the occipital hole, which is at the extremity of this plane. The occipital crest comes near the base of the nasal bones, traversing from one temporal crest to the other. On the middle of this occipital surface is a slightly projecting longitu dinal ridge.
The jugal bone is curved into a portion of a circle, and forms the lower border of the orbit, coming from the zygomatic apophysis of the maxillary bone, which abuts at the anterior angle ou the temporal apophysis, which abuts on the posterior angle. The jugal bone is not dilated at its extremity as in the Dolphin. The frontal on one side touches the maxillary, and on the other the temporal bones, by its ante- and post-orbital apophyses, and forms by itself the whole ceiling of the orbit, without being doubled above by the maxillary ; but on the contrary it is below, on its anterior portion, that in front of the orbit, and moreover is bordered there anteriorly by the lateral lamina of the maxillary bone, which is, with reference to the frontal, in an inverse position from that which it holds in the Dolphins. It is by this lamina that the maxillary bone abuts on the anterior angle of the' orbit, and articulates itself with the anterior and enlarged extremity of the jugal bone; but what is very remarkable is, that at this point, between the frontal and the maxillary, and, so to speak, at their very articulation, a peculiar bone, in form of a lamina, occupies nearly half the length of that suture, and which perhaps is the analogue of the lachrymal bone. The whole of the zygomatic arch, properly so called, which is very large, belongs to the temporal bone. The frame of the orbit is closed on all sides ; its ceiling is very large and concave above. The palatine bones are prolonged below the keel of the maxillaries. The posterior nostriLs arc very near the occipital hole. They have at each angle a tuberosity formed by the pterygoidean bone, which has little longitudinal extent, and only surrounds the nostrils on the external side and a little above and below, but without forming a sinus or double border there, as in the Dolphins. ' The hasilary region, which is very short, is also hollowed into a canal, as in them, and has on each side the bones of the ear, which are very small iu proportion, and of oval form, and equally convex in their inferior surface. In front of the basilary bone, and between the pterygoidean bones, may be seen the body of the posterior sphenoid. The glenoid face of the temporal bone is nearly vertical, and looks forwards ; that which makes the articular surface of the lower jaw is iu some sort the truncat Lire of the extremity of the bone. This jaw is an arch externally convex, compressed, slightly trenchant above and below. It has a coronoid apophysis in form of an obtuse angle, and a tuber osity a little more backwards.