17° THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



SPECIES I. 



THE DELPHINUS PHOCEANA COMMUNIS, 



OR 



THE COMMON PORPOISE. 



The Porpoise* may justly be denominated as the most 

 common of the Order Cetacea, inasmuch as it is equally 

 common to the Baltic Seas, the coasts of Greenland and 

 Labrador, in the Gulf of Saint Lawrence, throughout the 

 whole of the Atlantic Ocean, in the great Pacific Ocean, 

 in the Gulf of Panoma, Mexico, and California, near the 

 Gallapagos Isles, and in short in almost every sea. 



The porpoises are constantly to be found sporting in 

 the stormy ocean, traversing its agitated surface in the 

 most complete tranquillity. They cut without difficulty 

 the foaming wave, and when the black tempest appears 

 to convulse the sea, even to its profoundest abysses, they 

 float upon its bosom with the same security as in the 

 sunny hour of perfect calm. It is to its muscular force, 

 and the powerful instruments of notation with which 

 nature has provided it, that the porpoise owes the 

 astonishing rapidity of its motions, and those wonderful 

 springs and evolutions which the eye can scarcely follow. 

 This animal exhibits the figure of a very elongated cone 

 in its body and tail. The head may be considered as 



* Synonymes. — Tursio, Pliny and Rondelet, Hist, des Poissons. Meer- 

 schwein oder tunin, Martin. Le Marsoin, Belon, Hist, des Poissons. 

 Delphinus Corpora fere coniformo, dorso lato rostra-sab-aculo, Art6di Synop. 

 The Porpesse, Willoughby, Ray, Pennant, and Shaw. Niser ou le Mar- 

 soin, Egede. Dauphin Marsouen, I. a C6pede, Hist. Nat. de Cetac6es, 

 p. 287. 



