go The Irish Naturalists [April, 



black or greenish band extends from the lower jaw to the base of the 

 pectoral fin ; there is a ring of black round the eye ; one or two bands of 

 greyish or greenish traverse the light colour of the lower part of the 

 sides." 



This species, common in the Mediterranean, is much rarer with us, 

 though it probably occurs in small numbers all round the coast. 



BoTTivE-NOSED D01.PHIN— Tursiops tursio, O. Fab. 



(Plate 4, fig, 12). 



The accompanying figure of the skull of this Dolphin gives but a poor 

 idea of its structure. It was copied from Bell (XL, p. 469), no better 

 figure being available. The shape of the head somewhat resembles that 

 of the Bottle-nosed Whale, but it differs of course in size and in the 

 possession of a large number of teeth. The teeth are stouter in this 

 than in the Common Dolphin. It is black above, gradually shading into 

 white beneath, and from 8 T2 feet long. 



The specimens referred to by Thompson (XX., p. 41) are probably not 

 this species. At any rate the one from Dublin Bay determined by Dr. R. 

 Ball as the Bottle-nosed Dolphin, of which he had a cast made, was sub- 

 sequently shown by More (XVI T., p. 2<^2) toho: Lagenoj-hynchus alhirosiris. 

 The only Irish specimen therefore of which we can be certain is that 

 mentioned by Bell (XI., p. 468) as having been taken in 1829 on the south 

 coast of Ireland. This was subsequently figured by Gray in the 

 '* Zoology of the Erebus and Terror." 



Description of Pirates. 



Skulls of Cetacea with outlines of heads in black. 



Pi.ATE 3. 



Fig. I. Right Whale {Balatta viysticettis, Linn.) 



Fig. 2. Lesser Rorqual (^Balivnoptera rostrata^ Miill.) 



Fig 3. Humpbacked Whale (il/^^<3;//^;-a (^tjo/i-, Linn.) 



Fig. 4. Sperm-whale {Physeier macrocephahis, Linn.) 



Fig. 5. Bottle-nosed Whale {Hyperoodon rostratus, Gray.) 



P1.ATE 4. 



Fig. 6. Beaked Whale {Mesoplodoji bidejis, Low.) 



Fig. 7. Porpoise (^rhocccna communis. Less.) 



Fig. 8. Ca'ing Whale (G'A?/.'/r^///a///i- ///d-Zaj-, Trail.) 



Fig. 9. Killer ((9;Ya^/a(f/(7/^r, Lacep.) 



Fig. 10. White- beaked Dolphin {Lageiioj-hynchus albirostris. Gray.) 



Fig. II. Common Dolphin (^Delphinus delphis, Linn.) 



Fig. 12. Bottle-nosed Dolphin {Tiirsiops tursio, O. Fab.) 



All figures are greatly reduced, and not to the same scale. 



Fig.s, I, 2, 4, 5, 6, 7, 8, 9, 10, II are from Brit. Mus. Catalogue of 

 Mammalia, Part i ; fig. 3 after Van Beueden and Gervais (Monographic 

 des Cetaces); fig. 12 after Bell (British Quadrupeds.) 



