330 WHALES AND DOLPHINS 



The distribution of the Common Dolphin in British waters, 

 as indicated by stranded specimens, is very like that of the 

 Bottle-nosed Dolphin. Strandings are concentrated on the 

 south and west coasts, with a few on the east coast of 

 Scotland but between Firth of Forth and English Channel are 

 no strandings whatsoever. It has been suggested that the 

 dolphins approach, as do the Bottle-nosed Dolphins, from the 

 south-west, and that those invading the North Sea coast of 

 Scotland, do so in the Atlantic water which flows into it round 

 the north coast of Scotland. 



The food of this species consists mainly of fishes of various 

 kinds, such as herrings and pilchards. Farmer, in one of his 

 reports on stranded whales, quotes an instance of a Mediter- 

 ranean Common Dolphin in the stomach of which were the 

 ear stones of what was estimated as not less than 7596 little 

 fishes. 



The young, it is believed, are born in the summer. All 

 the very small specimens stranded on the British coast 

 have occurred in the second half of the year, and of a large 

 school observed off the east coast of Scotland in July a 

 year or two ago, numbers of the animals were very small 

 calves. 



No definite figure can be given ot the speed of swimming of 

 which this animal may be capable, but it must be one of the 

 swiftest of all the cetacea. Its slender lines suggest great 

 rapidity and ease of movement ; it commonly plays about, 

 zigzagging in front of the bows of vessels capable of speeds of 

 15 or 30 knots, often leaping clear of the water, to return 

 sometimes head foremost, and at others falling sideways to 

 hit the surface with a loud splash. 



The flesh of the Common Dolphin used in former times to 

 be eaten in England, but the animal nowadays is without 

 commercial value. 



There have been described, as distinct from Delphinus 

 delphis, a host of forms which, almost without exception, may 

 be regarded as synonymous with the common species, but 

 mention should be made of the Red-bellied Dolphin (D. 

 roseiventris) , which has the under part of the body pale rose 

 colour. It is small in size, 3 feet 10 inches, stout in form and 

 frequents the Molucca Sea and Torres Strait. 



