xii STENO AND TUKSIOPS 3/9 



the Oanmroon river, where it is extremely rare. The nostrils 

 (blow-hole) are prolonged into a snout-like process, a fact which is 

 of interest in connexion with the assertion that in Balaenoptera 

 the blow-hole is puffed out during spouting. What is temporary 

 in the Rorqual appears to be permanent in the Sotalia. More 

 remarkable still, perhaps, is the assertion that it is a vegetable- 

 feeding Dolphin. This is not a mere assertion except that it 

 may not apply universally ; for in the stomach of a specimen 

 nothing but vegetable debris was found. But in the stomachs of 

 other Whales (e.g. Rliachianectes) vegetable matter has also been 

 found, which may perhaps have been taken in accidentally \\h\\ 

 the food. 



Steno comes near Sotalia, and Dr. Blanford has transferred 

 to it (under the one name of Steno perniger) the two species, 

 Sotalia gadamu and Sotalia lentiginosa. It is, however, to be 

 distinguished from Sotalia by the following characters: Teeth 

 large and few, twenty to twenty-seven on each side of each jaw, 

 with furrowed surfaces to crowns. Vertebrae C 7, D 12 cr 13, 

 L 15, Ca 30 to 32. Pterygoids in contact. There are but two 

 species apparently (not counting Dr. Blanford's). 



Tursiops is not a very easily definable genus. These 

 are its chief features: Teeth large, twenty -two to twenty- 

 six in number in each half of each jaw. Vertebral formula 

 C 7, D 12 or 13, L 16 or 1*7, Ca 27. Pterygoids in contact, 

 Beak distinct. Some five species are allowed ; but it seems 

 to be difficult to differentiate the others from Tursiops tursio. 

 This, the best-known form, is quite or nearly world-wide in 

 range, and occurs, though not abundantly, on our own coasts. 

 Mr. True has observed that the eyelids of this Whale, which 

 is largely hunted on the American coast, are as mobile as 

 those of a terrestrial mammal. The name " tursio " is derived 

 from Pliny. Belon would also derive from this word the 

 French vernacular "rnarsouin." The latter term is sometimes 

 regarded as a corruption of " Meerschwein," but it would seem 

 to be more probably derivable from " marinum suem," from the 

 Latin direct. T. tursio has the back black to lead-colour; 

 the under parts white. In the reputed species, T. abusalam, 

 from the Red Sea, the back is a dark sea-green. T. tursio reaches 

 a length of 1 2 feet, but is more usually smaller. 



The o-enus Tursio must be carefully distinguished from 



