In 1883 Dr. L. Stejneger described a species which he had discovered on Bering Island, Bering Sea, under the name of Z. grebnitzkii. Through the instrumentality of Doctor Stejneger and Governor Grebnitzki, the National Museum later received a large series of skulls from the same locality. The question of whether this species is identical with Z. cavirostris, or distinct, has caused me much study, and forms the principal subject of this chapter.
The National Museum has at present the following material, which may be considered as certainly representing Z. cavirostris:
1. A complete skeleton and cast of an adult female, 19 feet 4 inches long, obtained at Barnegat City, New Jersey, October 3, 1883. Cat. No. 20971.
2. A complete skeleton and photographs of an adult male, 20 feet 1 inch long, obtained at Newport, Rhode Island, in 1901, through Dr. E. A. Mearns, Mr. L. di Z. Mearns, and Capt. Gus Soderman. Cat. No. 49599.
3. The collection contains also the skeleton of the young female individual obtained at Charleston, South Carolina, prior to 1865, which constitutes the type of Hyperoödon semijunctus Cope. It was originally in the Charleston College Museum, but later was received by the National Museum in exchange. This individual was between 12 and 13 feet long. Cat. No. 21975.
In addition, the national collections contain the following material, known to, or supposed to, represent the species Z. grebnitzkii:
4. Cat. No. 20993. Skull of a male (?).[37] Collected by Dr. L. Stejneger in Bering Island, 1882. Orig. No. 1521. Type of Ziphius grebnitzkii.
5. Cat. No. 21245. Skull. Orig. No. 1758.
6. Cat. No. 21246. Skull. Orig. No. 2531.
7. Cat. No. 21247. Skull. Orig. No. 1849.