DELl'lUNUH DELPillS. 45 



in tlio present state of our kuowledgo it is distiugiiisliable from Frodel- 

 2)hinuii, its nearest ally, and it would even appear that I), roseiventris, 

 Wagner, in some degree annals the value of this distinction, since the 

 grooves of its palate are shallow, though the pterygoids are very nar- 

 row, as in B. ddpMs. 



DELPHINUS DELrinS Liuu6. 



Delphinus deJphis, Linu6, S^'st. Nat., lOtli ecL, 1753, p. 77. 



Delph'mus major, Gray, Cat. Seals aud Whales, 1855, ]). 39G. 



Dcl2)hhius falvofasciattis, Wagnor, Scbreber's Siiiigctb., pi. 301, lij^. 1 ; Hoiiibrou 



and Jacquiiiot, Zool. Voyage de I'Asfcrolabo et Zeldo, iii, 1853, p. 37, Atlas, pi. 



21, fig. 1, pi. 23, figs. 1,2. 

 1). Forstcri, Gray, Cat. Seals and Wbales, 186G, p.248; Synopsis, 18G8, p. S. 

 Ddphinus janira, Gray, Zool. Erebns and Terror, 1846, p. 41, pi. 23; Catalogue, 



1st Oil., 1850, p. 123; 2d ed., 18GG, pp. 24.5, 398; Snppleiiient, 18G8, p. 68. 

 Delpliunis pomeegra, Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. London, vi, 18G9, p. 23. 

 Ddphiiuin llairdii, Dall, Proc. California Acad. Sci., v, 1873, p. 12 ; Scamuion's Mar. 



Mamm.,1874, p. 283. 

 DeljihinnN Moorci, Graj", Catalogue, 18oG, p. 396 ; Supplement, p. 68. 

 DvJpMniDi IFalkeri, Gray, Catalogue, 1866, ]). 397; Supplement, p. 68. 

 "i Delpliinus novw-zcalandia', Quoy & Gaimard, Voyage de I'Astrolobe, Manun., 



1830, p. 149. 

 Dcl2)hutus animanus,Fca\c,, U. S. Explor. Exped., 1st ed., viii, 1848, Mamm. and 



Ornilb., 1848, p. 33 ; Cassin, ditto, 2d ed., 1858, p. 29, pi. 6, fig. 1. 

 DcJplilnus mar(jinaliis, Lafont, Actes d. 1. Soc. Linn, de Bordeaux, 3d ser., vi, p. 



518. 

 D. fu^HS, soitvcrhianiis, varicgatiis, baltcatus, moschalus, Lafont, Fischer, Acteu d. 



1. Soc. Linn, de Bordeaux, 4tb ser., v, 1881, p. 127. 



The elaborate discussion of this species by Fischer (op, cit.) leaves 

 little to be said until great accumulations of new material have been 

 made. I shall confine myself, therefore, to the consideration of his 

 conclusions in the light of such material as I have at command. From 

 the examination of fresh specimens and skulls, I am convinced that the 

 common DelpMnns of the Atlantic coast of North America is, as it has 

 generally been considered to be, identical with Linne's Belphinus del- 

 phis. I have little hesitaucj^, therefore, in testing the conclusions based 

 upon European specimens by specimens from American waters. 



As regards the color of this species, I am convinced of the wisdom 

 of Professor Fischer's remarks: "On ne saurait etablir des especes 

 d'apres des carateres aussi instables." There are in my charge draw- 

 ings of four specimens taken at different times on our Atlantic coast, 

 and a photograph of a fifth. No two of these agree exactly with one 

 another nor with any of Lafont's species. 



Drawing No. 1 represents an individual similar to that represented 

 by Professor Fischer (PI. iv, Fig. 1), under the name of D. delphis, var. 

 fusus. It differs, however, in having no white area on the side below 

 the dorsal fin. An area over the anus is yellowish," like the anterior 

 portion of the side. The long nai row streaks of color on the sides are 

 gray rather than greenish or black. The sex of this specimen and the 

 next is unfortunately unrecorded. 



