THE DOLPHINS 



Family XLI. Coryphcenidce 



This family contains but one genus with 2 species, found in 

 mid-ocean, where they feed upon other pelagic fishes, such as 

 the flying-fish. They are strong, rapid swimmers, and are 

 widely distributed throughout all tropical and temperate waters. 

 They are often caught by sailors at sea, and are considered ex- 

 cellent food. 



It is the custom before eating them to test the flesh by 

 putting a piece of silver into the vessel in which they have 

 been cooked, it being a common belief that if the flesh is 

 poisonous the silver will turn black. Narratives of ocean voyages 

 abound in descriptions of the beautiful colours of the dolphin, and 

 the brilliant changes of hue exhibited by the dying fish. The 

 name dolphin is wrongly applied to these fish, as it belongs 

 properly to a group of small cetaceans. 



The single genus, Corypha'na, contains 2 species, C. hippurus 



^*fW^'&'^^^^y;: 



and C. equisetis. The common dolphin, C. hippurus, reaches a 

 length of 6 feet. It is a pelagic fish, common on our coast 

 from the Carolinas to Texas, and occasionally north to Cape Cod. 



Colour, brilliant in life, the head, body and tail greenish- 

 olive, changing suddenly at death; brownish-olive above, white 

 or golden below, with a series of about 1 5 bright-blue spots on 

 back along each side of dorsal, the largest on back and head, 



324 



