186 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



March following, one hundred and twenty more came 

 to the same spot, in all three hundred and ten. In this 

 second shoal there were probably about five hundred, 

 but very many escaped.* 



This animal, observes Dr. Traill,! clearly belongs to 

 the genus Delphinus, of the class Mammalia. The only 

 hitherto described species of that genus which it at all 

 resembles is the Delphinus Orca, or Grampus; but it 

 is distinguished from the latter by the shape of its snout, 

 the shortness of its dorsal fin, the length and narrow- 

 ness of its pectoral fins, the form and number of its 

 teeth, and the colour of its belly and breast. 



It abounds in the seas around the Orkney, Shetland, 

 and Feroe Islands, and even in Iceland. Being of a 

 gregarious disposition, the main body of the drove fol- 

 low the leading whales, as a flock of sheep follow the 

 wedders. This disposition being well known to the 

 natives of Shetland and the Orkneys, and is improved 

 to their advantage ; for, whenever they are enabled to 

 guide the leaders into a bay, they are sure of likewise 

 entangling great numbers of their followers.^ From 

 this peculiarity of following a leader, Dr. Traill suggests 

 the name of Deductor, instead of the name he formerly 

 gave. The Shetlanders gave them the name of Ca'ing 

 or Leading Whales. 



The whole body is almost black, smooth, and shining 

 like oiled silk. The back and sides are jet black, the 

 belly and breast of a somewhat lighter colour. The 

 general length of the full grown ones is about twenty 

 feet. The body is thick. The dorsal fin does not ex- 



* Tour through some of the Islands of Orkney and Shetland, by 

 P. Neill. Edin. 1806. p. 221. 



f Nicholson's Journal. Vol. xxii. p. 81. 

 t Neill's Tour, p. 222. 



