PORPOISES AND DOLPHINS 303 



Genus Globicephala. 

 THE PILOT WHALE {Globicephala melcena). Fig. 77. 



The Pilot Whale of North Atlantic waters may be taken as 

 typical of a genus world-wide in range, and including a number 

 of different forms which have been given specific rank. While 

 it may be difficult to distinguish individual species, certain 

 features of the external appearance common to all members 

 of the genus are sufficiently marked to make generic identifi- 

 cation, at any rate, a very easy matter. The Pilot Whale is 

 known alternatively as the Caa'ing Whale, Grindhval or 

 Blackfish, and the scientific name Globicephala refers to the 

 peculiar conformation of the head which forms a character 

 exclusive to this group of cetaceans. The head is greatly 

 swollen in front, so that the forehead bulges out as a rounded 

 almost globular projection above the upper jaw. The line of 

 the mouth in lateral view is directed upwards and backwards 

 towards the eye in a sinuous curve which, in conjunction 

 with the bulging forehead, gives the animal an expression 

 of intelligence which nothing in its behaviour can specially 

 justify. 



The dorsal fin, situated slightly in front of the middle of the 

 back is rather low, and the base is long in comparison with 

 the vertical height. The tip of the fin is bluntly rounded and 

 the concavity of the hinder margin very pronounced. 



The body colour is almost entirely black, but on the under 

 surface below the chin is usually a white area, the anterior 

 margin of which is sharply marked off from the general black- 

 ness of the body, but which behind merges gradually into it. 

 A little promontory of pigment projects into the white area 

 at its forward end, and posteriorly the whiteness may persist 

 as a light-coloured streak along the middle of the belly region. 



The teeth number 10 on each side of upper and lower jaws 

 and are slightly less than J inch in diameter. They are 

 confined to the front portion of the jaws. 



The adult size is as much as 28 feet. 



G. melcBna is a boreal species occurring abundantly off the 

 Faroes, Orkney and Shetland, and less commonly on the coasts 

 of England and Scotland. On the American side of the 



