BERARDIUS BAIRDII Stejneger.
Berardius bairdii Stejneger, Proc. U. S. Nat. Mus., vol. 6, p. 75, June 22, 1883. Berardius vegæ Malm, Bihang K. Svenska Vet. Akad. Handl., vol. 8, 1883, No. 4, p. 109.[49]
This species was based by Dr. L. Stejneger on a skull obtained by Mr. N. Grebnitzki in Stare Gavan, on the eastern shore of Bering Island, Commander Group, Bering Sea, in the autumn of 1881. In 1879 a portion of a skull of the same species was found on Bering Island by the Vega expedition, and was made the basis of a new species, B. vegæ, by A. W. Malm, the description of which was published a few months after that of Doctor Stejneger. The National Museum subsequently received another skull from Bering Island, through Mr. N. Grebnitzki, but, so far as I am aware, nothing further was heard of the species until 1903 and 1904, when the National Museum received three nearly complete skeletons, two of them from St. George Island, Pribilof Group, Bering Sea, and one from the coast of California. The material now in the National Museum is as follows:[50]
(1) Cat. No. 20992.—Skull and mandible of an immature individual collected by Dr. L. Stejneger in Bering Island. Original number 1520. Catalogued November 24, 1883. Type.
(2) Cat. No. (lacking).—Skull and mandible of an immature individual. Collected by Mr. N. Grebnitzki in Bering Island (?). Mounted.
(3) Cat. No. 142118.—Skull, mandible, and cervical vertebræ of a very young individual. Collected by Dr. L. Stejneger, June 5, 1883, on North Rookery, Bering Island. Original number 2191. This specimen is accompanied by notes and measurements.
(4) Cat. No. 49726.—Skeleton and measurements of an adult female. Near East Rookery, St. George Island, Pribilof Group. Collected by James Judge, in June, 1903. Length, 40 feet 2 inches.
(5) Cat. No. 49727.—Skeleton and measurements of an immature male. Same locality and date as the preceding. Length, 25 feet 5 inches.
The two skeletons (4) and (5) are somewhat incomplete. The Museum received a photograph of the female from Maj. Ezra W. Clark.
(6) Cat. No. 49725.—Skeleton and two photographs of an adult male (?) stranded on Centerville beach near Ferndale, Humboldt County, California, October, 1904. Length, about 41 feet.
A brief note on the St. George Island and California skeletons was published by the author in Science for 1904.[51] The dimensions given by the collectors were so large as to raise doubts whether they were correct, but the arrival of the skeletons proved that they were not overstated, and that the specimens were by far the largest ziphioid whales ever discovered, the bones about equaling those of a humpback whale in size and massiveness.
HISTORY OF THE ST. GEORGE ISLAND SPECIMENS.
The St. George Island specimens were first made known by Mr. James Judge, special agent of the Treasury Department, resident at the Pribilof Islands, in a letter dated June 16, 1903, as follows:
I was much surprised the other day to find a pair of whales ashore near East Rookery [St. George Island]. They lay about 150 yards apart. The female was 40 feet 2 inches, the male 25 feet 5 inches in length. The species is not positively identified, but tallies closely with the Globe Encyclopedia description of Bottlehead or Bottlenose whale, Hyperodoön bidentatus. Natives call it “Tcha-dhan.” The male is without teeth; female has two teeth in front of lower jaw.[52] The skin is thin, smooth, white underneath, and black above. Dorsal fin small and well aft. Caudal large and powerful. Eyes very small. Ears not visible.
Thinking that the skeleton might be of use, the bones of the female were cut out and placed high and dry on the grass. Four ribs were broken; otherwise the bones are intact. The male was towed to East Landing, and with the aid of a capstan deposited beyond reach of surf. Some blubber was saved. The foxes will clean up the bones during August, so that in all probability both skeletons will be available this fall. * * * I inclose some measurements, taken roughly, with a 5-foot tape line.
Whale measurements, June 11, 1903.
| Female. | Male. | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|
| Ft. | in. | Ft. | in. | |
| Greatest length | 40 | 2 | 25 | 5 |
| Greatest circumference (much bloated) | 20 | 0 | 12 | 0 |
| Extremity of upper lip to nostril | 4 | 4 | 3 | 0 |
| Distance between eyes | 4 | 6 | 3 | 6 |
| Extremity of lower lip to angle of mouth | 2 | 5 | 1 | 9 |
| Circumference of head at eyes | 8 | 10 | 7 | 0 |
| Lower half of snout 10 inches from end | 2 | 3 | 1 | 9 |
| Upper half of snout 12 inches from end | 2 | 1 | 1 | 7 |
| Length of [pectoral] fin along outer edge | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Circumference of tail [at] junction [with] caudal fin | 5 | 0 | 3 | 5 |
| Distance between extreme points of caudal fin | 10 | 2 | 6 | 3 |
| Anus to end of body | 11 | 8 | 7 | 7 |
| Anus to vagina | 1 | 2 | ... | ... |
| Anus to penis | ... | ... | 1 | 8 |
| Length of vagina | 1 | 3 | ... | ... |
| Length of penis | ... | ... | 1 | 9 |
| Penis at base | ... | ... | 1 | 5 |
| Height of dorsal fin | 0 | 12 | 0 | 7½ |
| Dorsal fin along spine to end of body | 11 | 11 | 7 | 5 |
| Length of nipple from raised base | 0 | 1 | ... | ... |
The skeletons remained on the island until August, 1904, when they were carried by the revenue cutter McCulloch to Dutch Harbor and afterwards to San Francisco. Through a misunderstanding they were allowed to remain on the beach at St. George Island until November, 1903, and suffered considerable injury. On that date they were deposited in a storehouse by Maj. Ezra W. Clark, assistant treasury agent in charge, who afterwards presented the photograph of the female above mentioned. ([Pl. 42], fig. 1.) The latter shows the short, narrow, pointed pectoral fin, and long, rather slender beak.
Another specimen of Berardius was found stranded on St. George Island on August 21, 1909. The following information regarding it was received from Maj. Ezra W. Clark, under date of September 4, 1909:
On August 21, 1909, after an unusually severe gale for the season, accompanied with heavy sea, a beaked whale was stranded under the cliffs of the northeast coast of St. George Island. Its position was such that it was reached with great difficulty. It was undergoing decomposition. I succeeded in getting the following information:
Sex, female. Length from tip of beak to end of body, 22 feet. Length of beak, tip to base, 2 feet 5 inches. Length of head, not including beak, 2 feet. Length of tail, or width of flukes at base, 1 foot 10 inches. Girth around beak at its base, 2 feet. Girth around body at dorsal fin, about 12 feet. Girth around body at base of tail, 3 feet. Spread of tail, or flukes, 6 feet. Length of dorsal fin at base, 1 foot 10 inches. Fore fins, 1 foot 10 inches.
I think that I shall not be able to get the skeleton of this whale, owing to the rough seas prevailing.
HISTORY OF THE CENTERVILLE, CALIFORNIA, SPECIMEN.
The Californian specimen (Cat. No. 49725) was first made known in a letter addressed to me by President Jordan, of Stanford University, under date of October 27, 1904, inclosing one from Mr. J. H. Ring, of Ferndale, California, dated October 23, 1904, which was as follows:
Enclosed find three views of an animal stranded on the beach near this place [Ferndale, Humboldt County, California], and as its identity seems rather uncertain we hope you will kindly classify it and inform us of its true name and habitat, if possible, from the photographs and incomplete description. Its total length is about 41 feet. Greatest circumference 16 feet, tapering probably to 18 inches near the tail. 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 3½ feet or so long. 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.
Mr. Ring was immediately communicated with, and very generously presented to the Museum the skull of the animal, which he had secured and cleaned with much labor and some danger to himself. He also undertook to have the skeleton cleaned and sent to Washington, and it was received in due course in June, 1905. Mr. Ring wrote under date of May 15, 1905:
You will notice that the point of the beak, as well as the points of the lower jawbones, are a little damaged, some hunters having shot the teeth out and then set a fire inside the jaws.
When received, the skeleton lacked the flippers and also two of the teeth. Regarding the former, Mr. Ring wrote on November 18, 1905, as follows:
I wrote you that one flipper was entirely gone and the other worn down to a stump, as shown in the picture. I have interviewed the man who stripped the specimen, and he says the stump was badly crushed and broken and fears it was lost one night when the extremely high tide had turned the whale over, and only the anchors and lashings I had secured it with prevented its going out to sea.
This skeleton was mounted recently and placed on exhibition in the Museum. The flippers were modeled from those of the St. George Island specimens (which were also imperfect) and from the figures of B. arnuxii given by Flower. The end of the beak was also restored, and a facsimile of the teeth substituted for the real ones. This remarkable skeleton shows in a manner hitherto unapproached the great size which this genus of ziphioid whales attains, and the peculiar conformation of the body. While the vertebræ rival those of the large whalebone whales, such as the Humpbacks, in their dimensions, the head is remarkable for its small size as compared with the immense proportions of the same part in the Right whales. ([Pl. 42], fig. 4.)
Mr. Ring sent to the Museum three photographs of the Californian specimen above mentioned, two of which are reproduced on [Pl. 42], figs. 2 and 3. Although rather indistinct, they show the general form of the body, the peculiar bulbous head, with an indication of a neck, and the long beak.
DESCRIPTION OF A YOUNG BERING ISLAND SPECIMEN.
Doctor Stejneger has very kindly placed in my hands his original notes on the young individual examined by him in Bering Island June 5, 1883 (Cat. No. 142,188) and they are given below in full:
When the news reached me that a small “plavum” was found dead ashore at the North Rookery of Bering Island, I immediately ordered dogs, and arrived at the place in company with the “starost.” The carcass was found lying on the very beach where the fur seals during the summer occupy the ground. As the bulk of the seals had not yet arrived, only a few “sikatschi” were seen in the immediate neighborhood, but it was reported that they had retired from the place on account of the smell of the putrefied body, as it was thought. The natives, fearing that it would drive the seals from the rookery altogether if left on the beach any longer, were very anxious to get it away as fast as possible, and it was only with some hesitation that they would allow one to stand on the rookery long enough to take a few measurements. The animal was quite a young one, and I conjectured that it had died immediately after having been born, as I think there were some remains of the umbilical cord. Hardly any of the bones were fully ossified. Under these circumstances, it was out of the question to have the whole skeleton preserved, as the dismembering and the separation of the putrified flesh from the bones and cartilages would require more care and consequently more time than the natives were willing to allow. I was therefore glad to secure the head and some of the neck vertebræ. Even that tried their patience, as the head was going to separate into its single bones and the not yet united component pieces, and consequently needed special care and attention.
The carcass was lying with the back upward, this visible part being uniform black, and still in such a state as to allow of measuring. The lower surface was in a very advanced state of decomposition. Part of the belly was torn away, together with the entrails, and the genitalia and anus were not to be found. As stated above, I think that I could recognize the umbilical cord attached to a tatter of the skin. Of course, measurements of the lower side and of the circumference of the body, except at the narrowest place of the tail, could not be taken.
Table of dimensions.
| Meters. | |
|---|---|
| Total length from tip of upper jaw to notch of caudal fin, along the middle of the back, without, however, following the angle between beak and forehead | 4.81 |
| From tip of upper jaw to fore border of spiracles | .53 |
| From fore border of the spiracles to fore border of dorsal fin | 2.63 |
| Length of dorsal fin | .29 |
| Height of dorsal fin | .11 |
| From hind border of dorsal fin to the beginning of the caudal fin | .93 |
| From the same point to notch of the caudal fin | 1.36 |
| Distance between the tips of the lobes of the caudal fin | .91 |
| Depth of the angle of the posterior margin of caudal fin | .20 |
| From tip of upper jaw to the angle of mouth | .36 |
| From the same to anterior angle of eye | .475 |
| Diameter of eye opening | .06 |
| From eye to eye over the spiracle | .59 |
| Distance between ends of spiracle | .08 |
| Length of beak from the forehead | .23 |
| Breadth of the beak at the forehead | .18 |
| From tip of upper jaw to anterior insertion of the pectoral fin | .80 |
| Pectoral fin along the anterior border | .51 |
| Breadth of pectoral fina at the insertion | .20 |
| Circumference of tail at its narrowest point, just before the caudal fin | .62 |
a The pectoral fin rather straight, of equal breadth, and abruptly ending.
ORIGINAL DESCRIPTION OF BERARDIUS BAIRDII.
The original description of B. bairdii by Doctor Stejneger is as follows:
Besides an Orca, which is said to visit the rookeries, but of which I have not been able to procure any specimen, or even to see one, there are at least two species of the family Ziphiidæ, both undescribed, as I suppose. I am very much indebted to Mr. Grebnitzki for a skull of each of the species, for one of which I should like to propose the name Berardius bairdii, as a slight token of my esteem and gratitude.
As I am now almost without any literary means, I find it impossible to decide with certainty in what genus this species will finally have to be placed. But I think that the supposition that this specimen (No. 1520) is a young Berardius may not be far out of the way. At first I suspected that it is a Dioplodon, but the size of the skull, in connection with the distinctness of the sutures, the evident maxillary crests, and the terminal position of the teeth very soon led me to the above conclusion.
The specimen in question has very low and scarcely incurved maxillary crests; the shortest distance of which is two and two-thirds times greater than their greatest height, and although it still is in its “adolescent” stage, I should greatly doubt whether the crests in this species ever become developed to such a degree as, for instance, in Hyperoödon diodon (Lacép.). 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.
Want of time and books prevents me from making more extended remarks, and until I can present an exhaustive and comparative description, I shall have to content myself by giving a provisional table of dimensions. The following dimensions are in millimeters and English inches, and are in every case measured in a straight line:
mm. in. Length of skull 1,405 55.32 Greatest breadth 698 27.48 Greatest height 530 20.87 Length from process of supramaxillaries before orbit to posterior edge of condyles 610 24.02 Length from same process to tip of beak 890 35.04 Depth of maxillary notch 50 1.97 Length of premaxillaries 1,222 48.11 Premaxillaries reach beyond supramaxillaries 134 5.28 Distance of upper edge of maxillary crests at their anterior end 228 8.98 Distance of same at their middle 358 14.10 Greatest height of maxillary crests 86 3.39 Length of visible part of vomer 325 12.80 Distance from anterior tip of vomer to tip of beak 275 10.83 Length of pterygoids 295 11.62 Height of foramen magnum 70 2.76 Width of foramen magnum 80 3.15 Distance of condyles at upper edge of foramen magnum 100 3.94 Closest approximation of condyles beneath the foramen magnum 2 0.08 Entire length of lower jaw 1,292 50.88 Height of lower jaw at second tooth groove 100 3.94 Length of symphysis 257 10.12 Greatest diameter of foremost tooth groove (longitudinal) 100 3.94 Shortest diameter of foremost tooth groove (transverse) 45 1.77 Greatest diameter of posterior tooth groove (longitudinal) 40 1.58 Shortest diameter of posterior tooth groove (transverse) 35 1.38 Distance between the tooth grooves 65 2.56 This specimen was found stranded in Stare Gavan, on the eastern shore of Bering Island in the fall of last year, and only the skull was preserved. From analogy I should judge that the entire length of the animal must have been about 18 feet (5½ meters). This species is well known by the natives for the cathartic quality of the blubber, resembling in this respect the Atlantic “Dögling,” or “Anarnak” (Hyperoödon diodon). The Russian name, by which the inhabitants here designate this whale, is Pla-un (sp. Pläoon), while the Aleut name is Kigan agalusoch, the meaning of which is said to be “having teeth on the nose,” a very inappropriate designation, as the teeth are situated on the tip of the lower jaw, and not on the nose.[53]
| mm. | in. | |
| Length of skull | 1,405 | 55.32 |
| Greatest breadth | 698 | 27.48 |
| Greatest height | 530 | 20.87 |
| Length from process of supramaxillaries before orbit to posterior edge of condyles | 610 | 24.02 |
| Length from same process to tip of beak | 890 | 35.04 |
| Depth of maxillary notch | 50 | 1.97 |
| Length of premaxillaries | 1,222 | 48.11 |
| Premaxillaries reach beyond supramaxillaries | 134 | 5.28 |
| Distance of upper edge of maxillary crests at their anterior end | 228 | 8.98 |
| Distance of same at their middle | 358 | 14.10 |
| Greatest height of maxillary crests | 86 | 3.39 |
| Length of visible part of vomer | 325 | 12.80 |
| Distance from anterior tip of vomer to tip of beak | 275 | 10.83 |
| Length of pterygoids | 295 | 11.62 |
| Height of foramen magnum | 70 | 2.76 |
| Width of foramen magnum | 80 | 3.15 |
| Distance of condyles at upper edge of foramen magnum | 100 | 3.94 |
| Closest approximation of condyles beneath the foramen magnum | 2 | 0.08 |
| Entire length of lower jaw | 1,292 | 50.88 |
| Height of lower jaw at second tooth groove | 100 | 3.94 |
| Length of symphysis | 257 | 10.12 |
| Greatest diameter of foremost tooth groove (longitudinal) | 100 | 3.94 |
| Shortest diameter of foremost tooth groove (transverse) | 45 | 1.77 |
| Greatest diameter of posterior tooth groove (longitudinal) | 40 | 1.58 |
| Shortest diameter of posterior tooth groove (transverse) | 35 | 1.38 |
| Distance between the tooth grooves | 65 | 2.56 |
SIZE.
It will be observed that the largest of the foregoing specimens measured 40 feet 2 inches in length, while the Centerville skeleton was reported to be about 41 feet long. The largest example of the New Zealand species, B. arnuxii, of which there is a record was 32 feet long.
COLORATION.
The St. George Island specimens were reported to be black on the back and white below, but it is not certain how long they had been dead when found by Mr. Judge. The young individual examined by Doctor Stejneger was also black on the back, but this was in a state of decomposition.
The color of the type-specimen of Berardius arnuxii was described by Arnoux as follows: “Its color was entirely black, except for a light gray area near the genital organs; it was a male.”[54] Haast remarks of a young individual observed by him near New Brighton, New Zealand, and not in a fresh condition: “The color of the whole animal was of a deep, velvety black, with the exception of the lower portion of the belly, which had a grayish color.”[55]
The color of the immature male of B. arnuxii captured in Wellington Harbor, New Zealand, in 1877, and described by Hector, was as follows: “The colour was black with a purple hue, except a narrow band along the belly, which was grey. The muzzle, flippers, and tail lobes were intensely black.”[56]
It is not likely that there is any marked difference in the color of arnuxii and bairdii, but the data available are insufficient for the determination of the matter. It will be observed, however, that Mr. Judge stated that the male bairdii found on St. George Island was white below, while in all the accounts of arnuxii the color of the under surface is given as blackish, with a restricted area of gray.
Besides its apparently greater size, Berardius bairdii differs from B. arnuxii in various cranial and other osteological characters, as well as in external proportions, and is to be regarded as a distinct species. The external measurements of the St. George Island specimens reduced to percentages of the total length and compared with similar measurements of a specimen of B. arnuxii described by Hector, are as follows:
External dimensions of Berardius bairdii and B. arnuxii.
Column Headings: bairdii. A: 49726 St. George Island, Alaska, (Judge), female adult. B: 49727 St. George Island, Alaska, (Judge), male imm. arnuxii. C: Wellington, New Zealand, (Hector), male.
| Measurements. | A | B | C | |||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| ft. | in. | ft. | in. | ft. | in. | |
| Total length | 40 | 2 | 25 | 5 | 27 | 6 |
| per cent. | per cent. | per cent. | ||||
| Distance from tip of snout to blowhole | 10.8 | 11.8 | 12.8 | |||
| Distance from tip of mandible to corner of mouth | 6.0 | 6.9 | a6.1 | |||
| Breadth of flukes from tip to tip | 25.3 | 24.6 | 19.1 | |||
| Length of pectoral fin along outer edge | 12.4 | 13.4 | 9.4 | |||
| Distance from anus to “end of body” | 29.0 | 29.8 | [34.0] | |||
| Height of dorsal fin | 2.5 | 2.4 | 3.0 | |||
| Distance from anterior base of dorsal fin to “end of body” | 29.7 | 29.2 | [34.6] | |||
a “Length of gape.”
The measurements of these specimens of bairdii agree well together. The specimen of arnuxii appears to have had narrower flukes, shorter pectoral fin, and a rather higher dorsal fin, situated farther forward than in bairdii. Measurements of a larger number of specimens might show that some or all of these differences of proportion are elusive, but it will be observed that in the Wellington specimen of arnuxii, recorded by Doctor Haast, the breadth of the flukes is only 21 per cent of the total length. The pectoral fin is said to be only 19 inches long, or only 5.2 per cent of the total length, but the manner of taking the measurement is not mentioned.
As regards size, the largest specimen of B. arnuxii of which I find record is the type specimen. This was 32 feet long, and the skull 1,400 mm., or about 55 inches long. This appears to have been an adult male. The Centerville specimen of bairdii, which was an adult male, was about 41 feet long, and the skull 1,532 mm., or about 60 inches long, while the adult female from St. George Island was 40 feet 2 inches long and the skull 56 inches. Although the total length of the specimens of bairdii is so much greater, it will be observed that the length of the skull, while a little greater, absolutely fails to measure up to the proportions found in arnuxii. It might be suspected on this account that the external measurements of bairdii were exaggerated, but that such is not the case will appear from an examination of the measurements of vertebræ given on page 75. It is evident that the specimens of bairdii are far more massive in all parts of the skeleton than the specimen of arnuxii there cited. The same relations will be found upon comparing measurements of the specimen of arnuxii figured by Van Beneden and Gervais.[57] The truth appears to be that bairdii is a much larger species, but that the skull is considerably smaller relatively.
SKULL.
The skull of Berardius bairdii presents many characters by which it may be distinguished from that of arnuxii, whether adult or young. As compared with the latter, the rostrum is less massive at the base. The pterygoid has a rounded extension posteriorly and superiorly, so that the posterior portion of the upper border of the pterygoid sinus is convex, rather than nearly straight, as in arnuxii. The exoccipital is larger and broader distally below, and its external surface is plane or concave, rather than convex, as in arnuxii. The distal end of the zygomatic process is much more incurved. The nasal bones instead of presenting lateral extensions have nearly straight sides. The vomer is deeply emarginate at the base of the skull posteriorly where it rests against the presphenoid. The palatines extend scarcely or not at all in front of the pterygoids. The foregoing differences will readily be seen by comparing the figures on Pls. 26-29 with those of the type of B. arnuxii given in Van Beneden and Gervais’s Osteography, plate 23.
The following are dimensions of skulls of both species:
Dimensions of five skulls of Berardius bairdii (including the type) and of three skulls of B. arnuxii.
Column headings: B. arnuxii. A: New Brighton, New Zealand (Flower). No. 3. B: New Zealand (V. B. and Gerv.). (Type). (a) C: 21511, U.S.N.M., New Zealand, young. B. bairdii. D: 49726, St. George Island, female, adult. E: 49725, Centerville, California, male(?) adult. F: 20992, Bering Island, (Type). G: 49727, St. George Island, male, young. H: Mounted skull, Bering Island(?) (Grebnitzki?).
| A | B | C | D | E | F | G | H | |
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. | |
| Total length of skull | 1,372 | 1,392 | b1,174 | 1,524 | 1,423 | 1,378 | 1,062(?) | 1,474 |
| Height from vertex to inferior border of pterygoids | 533 | 494(?) | 493 | 563 | 544 | ... | ... | 575 |
| Breadth across middle of orbits | c625 | 684 | 577 | 766 | 682 | 662 | 530 | [716] |
| Breadth across postorbital processes | 686 | 748 | 606 | 808 | 722 | ... | 560 | [760] |
| Breadth across zygomatic processes | 671 | 748 | 584 | 750 | 675 | ... | 520 | [740] |
| Length of rostrum | 919 | 894 | 800 | 960 | 925 | 880 | 578+ | 1,025 |
| Breadth of rostrum at base | 399 | 414 | 378 | 475 | 420 | 428 | 310 | 429 |
| Breadth of rostrum at middled | 152 | 150 | 149 | 207 | 197 | 188 | ... | 223 |
| Length of premaxillæ | ... | .... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... | ... |
| Breadth of premaxillæ at middled | 91 | 90 | 101 | 120 | 119 | 115 | ... | 125 |
| Greatest breadth of premaxillæ in front of nares | 208 | 210 | 189 | 235 | 217 | 238 | 187 | 239 |
| Greatest breadth of premaxillæ behind nares | ... | 246 | 193 | 215 | 195 | 181 | 165 | 197 |
| Distance from anterior end of premaxillæ posterior end of pterygoids (median) | 1,097 | 1,080 | 935 | 1,185 | 1,130 | ... | 720+ | 1,187 |
| Distance from anterior end of premaxillæ to anterior end of vomer | 345 | 264 | 252 | 276 | 270 | 260 | 115+ | 307 |
| Length of portion of vomer visible on palate | ... | 420 | 253± | 535 | 370 | 472 | 360± | 450 |
| Length of nasals (greatest, median, straight) | 132 | 162(?) | 134 | 135 | 118 | 135 | 98 | 142 |
| Breadth of nasals (greatest) | 102 | 180 | 125 | 119 | 97 | 105 | 90 | 105 |
| Breadth of anterior nares | 74 | 102 | 80 | 110 | 98 | 96 | 83 | 100 |
| Breadth of foramen magnum | 61 | ... | 72 | 85 | 82 | 84 | 83 | 71 |
| Breadth across occipital condyles | 191 | 213 | 186 | 261 | 228 | 240 | 195 | 235 |
| Breadth of each condyle | ... | ... | 75 | 123 | 104 | 108 | 83 | 98 |
| Height of each condyle | ... | ... | 135 | 193 | 171 | 168 | 142 | 178 |
| Length of mandible | e1,245 | 1,236 | ... | 1,334 | 1,289 | 1,282 | f883 | 1,360 |
| Length of symphysis | 310 | 294 | ... | 295 | 295 | 270 | f145 | 310 |
| Height at coronoid | 211 | 222 | ... | 271 | 230 | 223 | 175 | 245 |
| Distance from tip of jaw to center of first tooth | 34 | 45 | ... | 50 | 48 | 35 | f22 | 60 |
| Distance from tip of jaw to center of second tooth | 155 | 159 | ... | 200 | 182 | 165 | f87 | 195 |
a From Van Beneden and Gervais figure. b A little broken at tip. c “Suprafrontal processes of maxillæ.” d Same point. e “Length of ramus.” f About 27 mm. lacking from tip of mandible.
The foregoing measurements indicate a considerable variation in proportions among the different individuals, but there appears to be nothing that can be fixed upon in this small series to distinguish the two species by dimensions alone.
EARBONES.
The tympanic and periotic bones of B. bairdii (Pls. [34]-[37]) present a number of characters by which they may be distinguished from those of B. arnuxii. While of about the same size in both species, the two bones when in the natural position, viewed from without, are nearly square rather than triangular in outline in B. bairdii, the superior border of the periotic being nearly parallel with the inferior border of the tympanic, and the anterior lobe of the periotic being turned down nearly at right angles with the rest of the bone. The periotic is shorter anteriorly than the tympanic in B. bairdii, while the reverse is true in B. arnuxii. In the former species the eustachian canal of the tympanic is wider, the distance between the outer and inner lips being greater. The involuted portion of the inner lip is shorter and differently shaped. The groove between the postero-inferior lobes is wider. The periotic beside having a much shorter anterior lobe than in B. arnuxii has also a smaller and smoother middle lobe, and the internal auditory meatus is smaller and more oblique. The dimensions of the bones in the Centerville beach skull, No. 49725, are as follows: Tympanic: greatest length, 62 mm.; greatest breadth, 46; least breadth of eustachian canal, 17; height at sigmoid process, 47. Periotic: greatest length, 66; greatest breadth, 40; height at center of middle lobe, 35; length from tip of anterior lobe to anterior margin of internal meatus, 38.
TEETH.
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.
Taken as a whole, these teeth are not larger than those found in the specimens of B. arnuxii thus far recorded, but in both species they vary so much on account of age, or for other reasons, that a comparison of dimensions is unsatisfactory. The dimensions are as follows:
Dimensions of teeth of Berardius arnuxii and B. bairdii.
Column headings: A: Greatest height. B: Greatest breadth.
| Species and locality. | Sex and age. | Length. | Large tooth. | Small tooth. | Remarks. | |||
| A | B | A | B | |||||
| B. arnuxii. | ft. | in. | mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. | ||
| Akaroa (Van Beneden. Type). | Male. | 32 | 0 | a90 | 90 | 66 | 40 | From figure.b |
| New Brighton (Haast and Flower). | Male(?). | 30 | 6 | a73 | 63 | 47 | 31 | From figure. |
| Port Nicholson (Knox and Hector). | (?) | 27 | 0 | a65 | 50 | (?) | (?) | From figure. |
| Locality unknown (Van Beneden and Gervais, pl. 21 bis). | (?) | (?) | 72 | 53 | 51 | 30 | From figure. | |
| B. bairdii. | ||||||||
| 49725—Centerville, California. | Male(?), adult. | 41 | ± | a83 | 65 | 53 | 28 | |
| 49726—St. George Island. | Female, adult. | 40 | 5 | c79 | 72 | 62 | 45 | |
| 49727—St. George Island. | Male, im. | 25 | 0 | a86 | 61 | ... | ... | |
| 142118—Bering Island | Young. | ... | ... | a50 | 37 | 31 | 31 | |
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. Outer and inner surfaces slightly convex, the latter with several distinct longitudinal furrows, which extend to the apex. The whole tooth has a thin coating of cement, except the tip, for a length of about 10 mm., which is more nearly white, and consists, presumably, of dentine. The tooth is very symmetrical, but rather more convex externally. The apex is pointed, erect, and a little more convex externally than internally. ([Pl. 39], figs. 1, 2.)
The posterior tooth is similar to the anterior one, but much shorter and more blunt, and the longitudinal furrows are about equally distinct externally and internally. The cement extends nearly to the apex, which latter is very short and is directed backward.
No. 49727.—St. George Island, Alaska; male, immature. Anterior teeth conical, acute, somewhat unsymmetrical, rather more convex externally than internally. The internal surface with a deep median longitudinal groove, and others less distinct on each side near the base. Apex slightly inclined forward and inward, convex externally, with a single longitudinal groove; nearly flat internally, with, or without, a groove. Base of tooth for about 17 mm. covered with longitudinal rugosities, indicating that the root was about to close. It is open, however, the walls of the tooth at the narrowest point being 8 mm. apart and the cavity filled with dense bony pulp. The anterior and posterior outlines of the teeth are irregular, being convex near the base, then slightly concave, and again convex near the apex. When in the natural position, these teeth protrude about 33 mm., or a little more than one-third their height, above the alveolus. ([Pl. 39], figs. 3, 4.)
Posterior teeth lacking.
No. 49725.—Centerville beach, California; male (?), adult. Anterior tooth conical, with anterior and posterior margins as in the last. Apex considerably abraded and rounded off; not inclined inward or forward. Internal and external surfaces nearly equally convex, but the former with a broad median longitudinal groove. Root closed, the base of the tooth for a breadth of about 30 mm. covered with rounded rugosities. The inferior border slightly convex and the angles rounded off. When in the natural position, somewhat more than one-half of the tooth protrudes beyond the alveolus, and the tooth itself is inclined forward and outward. ([Pl. 39], fig. 5.)
Posterior tooth quite irregular in form, but the portion above the rugose base or root conical. Inner surface flat and uneven. Outer surface convex and rather rugose. The cement covers the whole tooth thickly to within about 5 mm. of the apex, which latter is short, quite acute, and slightly directed inward. It is convex externally and nearly flat internally. The basal rugosity or root is conical, thicker than the rest of the tooth, and unsymmetrical, being somewhat directed backward. It shows no opening below. When in the natural position this tooth is strongly inclined forward and outward, and only the tip for a length of 22 mm. protrudes beyond the alveolus. ([Pl. 39], fig. 6.)
No. 49726.—St. George Island, Alaska; female, adult. Anterior tooth conical, with the tip blunt, having been so much abraded that the dentine does not extend beyond the coating of cement. The tip measures 26 by 19 mm. The external and internal surfaces of the tooth are about equally convex and somewhat rugose without distinct furrows. The root is thicker than the remainder of the tooth and very rugose. It is entirely closed below, and the inferior outline is convex. Posterior tooth much compressed, conical above the root, nearly flat internally and slightly convex externally. Cement coating very thick and extending to within about 5 mm. of the dentine apex, which latter is acute and very slightly curved inward and backward. The root is very unsymmetrical, the posterior portion being much longer than the anterior. The surface is very rugose, and there is no opening whatever below. The inferior border is convex, with an emargination near the center. ([Pl. 39], figs. 7, 8.)
In the adult skull from Bering Island, which has been mounted and placed on exhibition, the teeth are fixed in the alveoli so that their entire length and the peculiarities of the basal portion can not be determined. In general form, however, they resemble those of the preceding specimen very closely. The anterior teeth are placed obliquely—that is, so that the anterior margins of the two teeth are nearer together than the posterior margins. The teeth are also somewhat inclined forward. The posterior teeth are strongly inclined forward and a little outward.
The anterior teeth are rather concave along the middle internally and convex externally. The portion above the alveoli is quite smooth.
The posterior teeth are moderately rugose above the alveoli. The whitish tips of denture are conical, compressed, and rather acute. They extend 6 mm. above the denture, and are 11 mm. long at their base, and 6 mm. thick.
The anterior teeth protrude about 45 mm. above the alveolus (internally); their base at the alveolus is from 73 to 76 mm. long, and from 33 to 35 mm. thick. The posterior teeth extend about 18 mm. above the alveoli (measured vertically from the alveolus), and the base of the visible portion (measured along the alveolus) is from 30 to 34 mm. long and from 18 to 20 mm. thick. These teeth have an antero-external angular enlargement of the cement, so that they are somewhat triangular in horizontal section. ([Pl. 30], fig. 3; [pl. 31], fig. 5.)
The data available are insufficient to enable one to determine satisfactorily whether the teeth differ materially in size in the two sexes, but it appears probable that they do not.
SKELETON.
While the skeleton of Berardius bairdii ([Pl. 42], fig. 4) resembles that of B. arnuxii very closely in most particulars, it presents differences which may properly be regarded as specific. The vertebral formula of B. arnuxii as given by Flower is as follows: C. 7, Th. 10, L. 12, Ca. 19 = 48.[58] The same formula is given for another specimen of B. arnuxii by Van Beneden and Gervais, except that the caudals are 17, two being apparently lacking.[59]
Doctor Hector, however, gives a different formula for a third specimen of this species, namely, C. 7, Th. 10, L. 13, Ca. 17 = 47. He remarks that “extreme care was taken to secure the whole of the small tail bones.”[60] The discrepancy here shown can not be accounted for at present, but, at all events, none of the formulas of B. arnuxii corresponds to that of B. bairdii, as derived from the three skeletons in the National Museum, namely, C. 7, Th. 11, L. 12, Ca. 16+ = 46+.
The number of thoracic vertebræ can be determined positively from the youngish male from St. George Island (Cat. No. 49727), in which ten pairs of ribs are present, together with one rib belonging to the eleventh pair. This last is much shorter than the tenth pair, and there can be no doubt that it really belongs to a terminal pair. In this skeleton the transverse processes of the eleventh thoracic vertebra are thick at the free end like those of the tenth thoracic vertebra.
In the adult male from Centerville beach, California, only ten pairs of ribs are present, but as the tenth is quite as long as the ninth, there is little doubt that an eleventh pair was present originally. The eleventh thoracic vertebra, however, has transverse processes longer and more flattened at the free end than those of the tenth thoracic. It is possible, of course, that the real eleventh thoracic is lacking, and that this individual had thirteen lumbar vertebræ, but of this there is no positive evidence.
Only a few of the ribs accompany the skeleton of the adult female from St. George Island, Alaska (Cat. No. 49726), but there are eleven thoracic vertebræ, the transverse processes of the eleventh being short and thick, like those of the tenth, with a distinct facet for the rib at the free end. This facet, however, is directed obliquely backward and occupies only the posterior half of the free margin.
There is no doubt in my mind that the number of thoracic vertebræ in B. bairdii is normally 11 and in B. arnuxii, 10. This would ordinarily be of little importance, as in nearly all kinds of cetaceans a variation of one, or even two, in the number of thoracic and lumbar vertebræ in different individuals of the same species is commonly met with. In the present family, however, the number of thoracic vertebræ shows little variation, and as all known skeletons of B. bairdii have eleven thoracics and all known skeletons of arnuxii appear to have ten thoracics, it seems probable that this difference is specific. At all events, it is correlated with a difference in the form of the vertebræ themselves. As is well known, the transverse processes of the thoracics in this family undergo a sudden change of form and position near the end of the series, the elevated processes on the anterior thoracics being replaced on the posterior vertebræ by others at a lower level on the sides of the centra. This change takes place differently and on different vertebræ in the two species under consideration.
VERTEBRÆ.
In B. arnuxii the eighth thoracic has no facet at the posterior end of the centrum for the articulation of the head of a ninth rib and no distinct transverse process, the tubercle of the rib articulating with a facet on the side of the metapophysis. In B. bairdii the eighth thoracic is similar, but there is a distinct facet at the posterior end of the centrum. ([Pl. 32], fig. 1.)
In B. arnuxii the ninth thoracic has a very distinct transverse process on the side of the centrum, while in B. bairdii the ninth thoracic has a short, slender process attached to the side of the metapophysis and no facet at the posterior end of the centrum. ([Pl. 32], fig. 1.)
In B. arnuxii the tenth thoracic is the second one having a distinct transverse process, and the latter is broad distally and has the articular facet on the posterior portion of the free margin. In B. bairdii the tenth thoracic is the first having a distinct transverse process on the side of the centrum. ([Pl. 32], fig. 1.)
There are only ten thoracics in B. arnuxii, as already mentioned, but in B. bairdii there are eleven, and the eleventh is that which bears the second transverse process on the side of the centrum.
The foregoing differences amount to this: That in B. bairdii the commencement of the lower series of transverse processes is pushed back one vertebra, as compared with B. arnuxii, and that in the ninth thoracic of the former species, which corresponds to the eighth of the latter species, the metapophysis has a short process on the side for the articulation of the tubercle of the rib, instead of merely a sessile facet. Although in other genera of ziphioids these differences would perhaps be looked upon as individual, since they are constant here they may be considered specific, at least provisionally.
SCAPULA.
In B. bairdii the anterior border of the scapula is narrower than in B. arnuxii, the anterior ridge coming close to it and lying parallel with it. The acromion is directed more upward, so that the angle between it and the body of the scapula is more acute, and the process itself is rather more expanded distally. The coronoid is inclined a little more downward. The whole surface of the scapula is very uneven. ([Pl. 33], fig. 2.)
HUMERUS AND ULNA.
The humerus is shorter than in B. arnuxii and broader distally, and much more recurved on the ulnar side. The ulna is much broader distally and its whole shape is different. ([Pl. 33], figs. 3 and 4.)
CHEVRONS.
As the skeleton of the typical form arnuxii has been described in considerable detail and accurately figured by Flower and by Van Beneden and Gervais, it is not considered necessary to give a complete description of that of bairdii in this place. The entire skeleton and many of the separate bones are figured in Pls. [42], [32], and [33]. The phalanges are lacking altogether, or are incompletely represented, in the various skeletons of bairdii, and for that reason the phalangeal formula can not be given. The chevrons number ten in the skeleton from Centerville beach, California (Cat. No. 49725). Both Flower and Van Beneden and Gervais give nine chevrons as the number for the skeleton of arnuxii in the Hunterian Museum, London, but the latter authors have added a tenth in outline in the figure of the skeleton of that species which is in the Paris Museum. Ten are mentioned by Hector as the correct number for the skeleton of arnuxii from Wellington Harbor examined by him.[61]
STERNUM.
The sternum of bairdii ([Pl. 32], fig. 2) consists of five segments and does not offer characters by which to distinguish it from that of arnuxii. In the former species the first eight pairs of ribs possess distinct heads and tubercles; the tubercle is rudimentary in the ninth pair and absent in the tenth and eleventh.
The dimensions of the three skeletons of bairdii and of that of arnuxii described by Flower are as follows:
Dimensions of one skeleton of Berardius arnuxii and three skeletons of B. bairdii.
Column Headings: B. arnuxii. B: New Brighton, New Zealand, 1868, (Flower). No. 3. B. bairdii. C: 49726 St. George Island, Alaska, female adult. D: 49725 Centerville, California, male(?) adult. E: 49727 St. George Island, Alaska, male young.
| B | C | D | E | |||||
|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|---|
| mm. | mm. | mm. | mm. | |||||
| Length of centra of seven cervicals (inferior) | 254 | 375 | 310 | 250 | ||||
| Atlas: | ||||||||
| Breadth | 292 | 362 | 341 | 280 | ||||
| Height | ... | 339 | 321 | 270 | ||||
| Fourth cervical: | ||||||||
| Greatest height | ... | a254 | a249 | a191 | ||||
| Greatest breadth | ... | b243 | b197 | b173 | ||||
| Length of centrum | 36 | 47 | 34 | 30 | ||||
| Seventh cervical: | ||||||||
| Greatest height | ... | 310 | 270 | 198 | ||||
| Greatest breadth | 241 | 257 | 235 | 177 | ||||
| Length of centrum | 46 | 58 | 49 | 42 | ||||
| First thoracic: | ||||||||
| Greatest height | ... | 391 | 390 | 255 | ||||
| Greatest breadth | ... | 310 | 290 | 240 | ||||
| Length of centrum | 58 | 84 | 68 | 51 | ||||
| Ninth thoracic: | ||||||||
| Greatest height | ... | 508 | 478 | 333 | ||||
| Greatest breadth | ... | 318 | c218 | 198 | ||||
| Length of centrum | 152 | 190 | 176 | 128 | ||||
| First lumbar: | ||||||||
| Greatest height | ... | 585 | 540 | 359 | ||||
| Greatest breadth | ... | 626 | 575 | 340 | ||||
| Length of centrum | 163 | 228 | 215 | 150 | ||||
| Sixth lumbar: | ||||||||
| Greatest height | ... | 713 | 642 | 427 | ||||
| Greatest breadth | ... | 590 | 572 | 362 | ||||
| Length of centrum | 206 | 273 | 243 | 172 | ||||
| First caudal: | ||||||||
| Greatest height | ... | 800 | d658 | 427 | ||||
| Greatest breadth | ... | 577 | d511 | 360 | ||||
| Length of centrum | 246 | 338 | d280 | 200 | ||||
| Ninth caudal: | ||||||||
| Greatest height | ... | 422 | 335 | 288 | ||||
| Greatest breadth | ... | 243 | 194 | 191 | ||||
| Length of centrum | 168 | 241 | 194 | 160 | ||||
| Eleventh caudal, length of centrum | 104 | 180 | 156 | 142 | ||||
| Length of scapula | 503 | 710 | 670 | 395 | ||||
| Height of scapula | 356 | 490 | 445 | 280 | ||||
| Length of humerus | 274 | ... | 340 | 248 | ||||
| Breadth of humerus at distal end | 109 | ... | 170 | 115 | ||||
| Length of radius | 295 | ... | a380 | 220 | ||||
| Breadth of radius at distal end | 84 | ... | 140 | 88 | ||||
| Length of ulna (incl. olecranon) | 323 | ... | ... | 241 | ||||
| Breadth of ulna at distal end | 79 | ... | ... | 71 | ||||
| Length of sternum | 1,143 | 1,455 | 1,530 | ... | ||||
| Breadth of first segment of sternum | 325 | 375 | 495 | ... | ||||
| Length of first rib (straight) | 457 | 543 | 505 | 323 | ||||
| Length of fifth rib (straight) | 991 | ... | ... | ... | ||||
| Length of tenth rib (straight) | 737 | ... | ... | ... | ||||
a Median. b Inferior. c Process aborted on one side. d Second.