394 MAMMALIA— DOLPHIN. 



in length, and three or four in circumference. Its flesh is a while, well 

 tasted, and salubrious food. When the thicker parts of the skin are cut 

 into slices and dried, they become exceedingly tough, and form good whips. 

 Of the thinner parts, which have more pliability, the Indians make thongs 

 to fasten together the sides of their canoes. 



THE DOLPHIN. 1 



This is a distinct animal from the small fish which sailors call by the 

 same name ; and though so often painted as being of the shape of the letter 

 S, the dolphin is almost straight, the back being very slightly incurvated, 

 and the body slender. The nose is long, narrow, and pointed, with a broad 

 transverse band, or projection of the skin on its upper part. From the 

 shape of the nose, the animal has been called the sea-goose. The mouth is 

 very wide, and has twenty-one teeth in the upper, and nineteen in the lower 

 jaw, somewhat above an inch long, conic at the upper end, sharp pointed, 

 and bending a little in. They are placed at a small distance from each 

 other; so that when the mouth is shut, the teeth of both jaws lock into each 

 other. The spout hole is placed iu the middle of the head; the tail is semi- 

 lunar ; the skin is smooth ; the color of the back and sides dusky ; the belly 

 whitish. It swims with great swiftness, and its prey is fish, but paiticularly 

 cod, herrings, and flat fish. The dolphin is longer and more slender than 

 the porpoise, measuring nine or ten feet in length, and two in diameter. 



All this species have fins on the back ; and resemble each other in their 

 appetites, their manners, and conformation, being equally voracious, active, 

 and roving. No fish could escape them, but from the awkward position 

 of their mouth, which is placed in a manner under the head. Their own 

 agility is so great, as to prevent them from being often taken ; and they 

 seldom remain a moment above water. Their too eager pursuit after prey 

 occasionally, however, exposes them to danger; as they will sometimes 

 follow the object of their pursuit even into the nets of the fishermen. 



1 Delphinus delphis, Lin. The genus Delphinus has teeth variable in number, of a 

 canine form, sometimes compressed and dentated on their cutting margins, from two hun- 

 dred to none at all ; jaws more or less advanced in form of a beak ; spiracles with a cres- 

 cent shaped aperture; an adipose, dorsal fin, or a longitudinal fold of the skin ; tail flat- 

 tened horizontally, and bifurcated 



