178 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



Norfolk, who distributed part of it among his most inti- 

 mate friends. It was roasted, and served up with por- 

 poise sauce. It is now very seldom eaten, except when 

 young and tender. The best parts are those next to the 

 head, the rest being dry and insipid. 





SPECIES III. 



DELPHINUS ORCA COMMUNIS, 



OR 



THE COMMON GRAMPUS.* 



This is by far the largest animal of this genus. It is 

 the common grampus, and two varieties are to be met 

 with in the northern seas. They differ but little from 

 the delphinus phoceana, or common porpoise ; in the 

 latter the snout is not so blunt, whilst that of the 

 grampus is short, and a little turned up. The remark- 

 able difference of size too is very striking, the grampus 

 being from twenty to twenty-four feet long, and propor- 

 tionally bulky. The latter also is furnished only with 

 forty teeth, whilst the former has forty-six in each jaw. 



The grampus is of an extremely fierce and pre- 

 daceous disposition, feeding on the larger fishes, and 

 even on the dolphin and porpoise. It is also said to 

 attack whales and to devour seals, which it occasionally 

 finds sleeping on the rocks, dislodging them by means 

 of its back fin, and precipitating them into the water. 

 This animal is found both in the Mediterranean and 

 Atlantic seas, as well as in the polar regions. The 



* Synonymes. — Delphinus Orca Communis, Dewkubst ; French, 

 Epaulard — Spek-Hugger ; Norwegian, Hoval-IIund:; Dutch, Botshop ; 

 Icelandic, Huyding ; Swedish, L'Opare. Uondrean Grand Marsoin, 

 Belon. Balmna minor utraque maxilla dentata, Sibhald. Grampus, 

 Pennant and Shaw. Dauphin orquc, La Cepedo. 



