Descriptions of East Asiatic Mammals 197 
dealer is the harpoon that explodes within the Whale's body, 
instantly killing the giant "fish." 
Attempts have been made to check this slaughter; interna- 
tional conventions have assembled and agreements have been 
signed. Like many other international covenants, the whaling 
agreements have had no "teeth" and have depended for their suc- 
cess upon the good sense and good faith of those participating. 
The agreements have not always been consistently observed, so 
that the status of many a species of Whale is still precarious in 
the extreme. 
Because this book is restricted to treatment of the mammals 
of continental eastern Asia, only those members of the Cetacea 
which enter the rivers will be discussed. 1 
The Whales and their allies include two suborders : the 
Toothed Whales, Odontoceti, and the Whalebone Whales, 
Mystacoceti. The Toothed Whales, of which only a few are 
found in our area, comprise four families : Sperm Whales, Phy- 
seteridas ; Beaked Whales, Ziphiidae ; River Dolphins, Platanis- 
tidae; and the True Dolphins, Porpoises, White Whales, Nar- 
whals, Black Fish, Grampus, all belonging in the Family 
Phocseidse. 
The Sperm Whales and Beaked Whales are all marine mam- 
mals. The River Dolphins are non-marine. Although most 
species of the Delphinidae live in the sea, a few, including both 
beaked (Dolphins) and non-beaked (Porpoises) genera, are 
at home in fresh water. 
THE RIVER DOLPHINS (FAMILY PLATANISTIM:) 
The few Dolphins of this family, survivors of a once exten- 
sive group, are today all found in the fresh or brackish waters 
of rivers or lakes. Two genera, Lipotes and Platanista, occur in 
1 A brief review of the marine members of the order was given in Mam- 
mals of the Pacific World. 
