WATERS OF WESTERN INDIA. 159 



available. I have had two heaps of bones of Whales which had been 

 stranded south of Bombay. One must have been over 40 feet long and 

 the other under 30, so far as could be guessed from the disjecta membra,, 

 The latter was distinguished by possessing flat intervertebral plates 

 of bone, which I could not find in the former. Neither had teeth. 



Besides these, I have at different times received single vertebra? of 

 at least two Whales. The last and largest of them is in the Society's 

 Museum, and must have drifted a long way. It shows clearly the 

 marks of the peculiar spades used by whalers in stripping off the 

 blubber before " trying it out" into oil. But no whalers fish within 

 many hundred miles of Bombay.* 



We have at least two Porpoises — one a true Delphinus, called by 

 the natives " Gadha ' (i.e., Donkey), perhaps from his constant habit of 

 kicking and frisking on the top of the water. There is a smaller one 

 called " Bhulga," which is less common and is distinguished by 

 having apparently no bade Jin, It keeps in shallow salt water ; and 

 1 have not seen it frisk and play like the " Gadha." 



I have never been able to get a specimen of either ;f they often get 

 into fishing-nets, but almost invariably tear their way out. Some 

 years ago some gentlemen from Bombay tried to harpoon them in 



* There are Whale fisheries about the Maldives and Seychelles. The likeliest large 

 Whale on this coast is Baloenoptera indica, the Indian Rorqual or Finback. I believe 

 that a specimen in Bombay has been doubtfully identified as belonging to the -allied 

 genus Physalus. They have no teeth ; only whalebone strainers. Right Whales 

 (Balsense), which have similar strainers and no back fin, are extra-tropical animals and 

 need not be looked for here; but the occurrence of a Sperm Whale or Cachalot (Evphysetes 

 sinius), with visible teeth in the lower jaw, concealed teeth in the upper, and a very 

 small back fin, is possible, as of Globicephalus indievs, really a gigantic Dolphin, with 

 a large back tin and visible teeth in both j*ws. 



t Since the text was written and sent in to press, I have received three specimens of the 

 Bhulga, which has been identified as Neomerislearachiensis, and subjoin description, viz, old 

 female, gravid; total length between perpendiculars, 4 feet 2 inches ; maximum girth, 2 feet 

 7 inchftS ; width of tail, 1 feet 3 inches ; length of flipper, 9 inches ; live weight, 60 lbs. 

 avoirdupois ; colour, leaden black, lighter below, especially on the bieast ; nose, chin, and 

 interior of mouth dirty white. 



No dorsal fin; but back behind the flippers flattened and hollowed out and carunculat- 

 ed; near the lumbar region edged with a slight salient angle, which may be taken to repre- 

 sent a rudimentary dorsal fin. 



Mammae 2, inguinal (of course), concealed in slit valves. No rostrum whatever. The 

 profile rather reminds one of a Turtle's, 



Teeth visible and numerous in both jaws (anxiety to preserve the specimens quickly 

 prevented their being counted) in both adult and foetus. In the former they are well worn 

 down, showing that it is an old animal, 



Spiracle crescent-shaped, single, central, and far back. No water was expelled from it 

 in " blowing" during several hours that I had the animal under observation in water over 

 its depth. I should say here that I am well acquainted with the Rorquals and Globicepha- 

 Hda: in the wild state, and never saw either spout water. Theic discharge is more like 

 that of a starting locomotive steam-engine on a railway, 



The contents of the stomach were many prawns (palamion), mostly of large size, 3 to 5 

 inches long; three very small' 1 bones"of sepias, the longest 2£ inches, and ooe pen of a fquid 

 (loligv) also very small. None showed any signs of dental action; they had apparently 

 been swallowed whole. It is worth while to remark that the tongue of the "Bhulga," 

 though distinct, is jaw-bound. 



