FRESH-WATER DOLPHINS 339 



forehead rises rather steeply to the upper surface of 

 the head. The blowhole, slitlike in form, is placed longitu- 

 dinally on the summit of the head. Behind it the head dips 

 down slightly before rising to the gentle curve of the back. 

 The dorsal fin is a very low, almost ridge-like triangular 

 eminence, about two-thirds of the body length from the snout. 

 The tail flukes are broad and have a concave posterior border 

 with a notch in the middle. The flippers are short and very 

 broad at their outer end, nearly fan-shaped in form. 



The colour of the body is lead black. The eyes are diminu- 

 tive in size, and the animal, which is sightless, procures its 

 food by probing the mud of the rivers in which it lives. 



Teeth number about 29 in each half of upper and lower jaw. 

 The tooth rows in the upper jaws are so closely approximated 

 that they are almost in contact with each other. In the young 

 animal the teeth are sharply tapering and conical, but with 

 age their bases become massive and flattened sideways and 

 the tips worn down. 



A feature exclusive to Platanista is found in the skull. Two 

 plates of bone, one on either side of the head, project out from 

 the facial portion of the skull and almost meet in front of the 

 nasal channel. 



Platanista is confined to the River Ganges and River Indus, 

 in each ranging from the sea as far up stream as depth and 

 absence of rocky barriers will permit. 



Anderson, in his 'Account of the Zoological Results of two 

 Expeditions to Western Yunnan ', states : " In rising to breathe 

 the Platanist may either simply expose the upper surface of its 

 head sufficiently to bring its blowhole above water, or, what is 

 more common, plunge out of the water upwards, forwards 

 and downwards, first exhibiting its long snout, followed by 

 two-thirds of its back. . . . Respirations are tolerably 

 frequent, occurring at intervals of about one-half to three- 

 quarters of a minute." 



The Susu feeds on mud-frequenting fishes and fresh-water 

 shrimps. 



The young are born between April and July, after a period 

 of development lasting eight to nine months. Anderson tells 

 us that the young, clinging to their mothers, are sometimes 

 captured in the nets of the fishermen. 



