68 GLADIATOR DOLPHIN. 



organ and devour it, and finally, gaining access to his 

 mouth, they destroy the life of the animal." Bonna- 

 terre remarks, that the same author thinks with 

 reason that the cetaceous animals called Killers, on 

 the coasts of New England, are of this species. In 

 fact, they have both jaws furnished with teeth which 

 interlock, have on their backs a fin four or five feet 

 high; swim in troops, and attack in a body young 

 whales, just as a pack of dogs attack a bull. Some 

 seize the whale by the tail to prevent him from 

 using this weapon of defence, while the others at- 

 tack and bite him about the head, until the un- 

 wieldy creature becomes fatigued, and thrusts forth 

 the tongue as already stated. 



The gladiator dolphin is found on the coasts of 

 Spitzbergen, in Davis's straits, and on the New 

 England coasts. The Chevalier Pages, on his voy- 

 age towards the north pole, found them about the 

 79th degree of latitude. u The sabre-fish," says 

 he, " are also found among the ice, but they rarely 

 quit the frozen climate near the pole. They are 

 from twenty-three to twenty-five feet long; they are 

 black, and carry their sabre perpendicularly upon 

 the back; this sabre is curved backwards, and is 

 about four feet long. I have seen whales fly from 

 them with the utmost celerity, and I have seen 

 others deeply scarred by the weapon of this war- 

 like animal."* 



Op. cit. apud Bonnaterrc Cetologie ut supra. 



