282 DELPHINIDiE. 



to the animal intended hj the ancients,. and characterizes it, "Musean 

 conforme conime celiii du Danphin volgaire, dents larges et crenclees 

 sur lenrs bords" — being a translation of Artedi (Oen. Piscium, 76, 3), 

 " D. rostro sursum repaudo, dentibus latis serratis." 



0. Fabricius observes that he never saw D. Orca ; but Professor 

 Eschricht believes the Phifseter microps of 0. Fabricins to be the 

 Killer, or D. Orca of Linnajus (Dan. Trans, xii.). 



Fabricius says, " The Aklluih has in the lower jaw 22 teeth, 11 on 

 each side, arched, falciform, hollow internally as far as the point, 

 projecting scarcely a thii'd jjart (and this visible part is enamelled, 

 compressed-conical, with the point sharp, curved inwardly and at the 

 same time verging a Httle backwards ; but the concealed part broader 

 and having two parts, compressed anteriorly and posteriorly, and, 

 especially on the side nearest the throat, channelled) ; of the length 

 of a finger, and 1| inch broad ; the middle ones larger, the anterior 

 and posterior smaller. Beak rather obtuse. Beside the pectoral fins, 

 it has a long, erect dorsal fin. In size it is to be regarded as amongst 

 the smaller whales. Skin glabrous, black ; the fat thick, but little 

 oily ; flesh red." — Fabricius, Faun. Groenl. 



Of the AidluiTc wonderful stories are told : the following is not the 

 most extraordinary : — " Where these appear, all the seals disappear, 

 else they make desperate slaughter among them ; for they have such 

 sagacity and skill in catching them with the mouth and fins, that 

 they are sometimes seen loaded with five at a time, one in the mouth, 

 a couple under each fin, and one under the back fin."— Cranfc, Green- 

 land, i. 116. 



I formerly thought that the Aklluil- of 0. Fabricius was identical 

 with the Balcnia microcephaJa of Sibbald ; but Professor Eschricht 

 observes that it is most important, in the determination of 0. Fabri- 

 cius's synonyma, to attend to the Greenlanders' names, as they are 

 most accurate cetologists. He states (on the authority of Captain 

 Holboll) " that two of the animals which Fabricius referred to 

 Physcter — viz. 1st, the ' Pernak' (which he called P. Oatoclon), pro- 

 bably, and, 2nd, the ' AicUuik,' called by him P. microps (which 

 Cuvier thought might be D. ghhiceps), certainly — are the Northern 

 Sword-fish, Delpliinus Orca."- — Kong. Dansl-e Afhandl. xi. 136. (See 

 also Eschricht, CEversigt Kong. Vid. Selsk. Forh. 1862, 65.) In his 

 last paper he regards the ArdluJcsoak, or the Large Greenland Orque, 

 as the male, and the AidluiTc as the female of the Delpliinns Orca. — 

 Ann. Sri. Nat. ] 864, 209. 



Fabricius's description of the ' Aidluik ' will do for Orca gladiator, 

 except that he calls it black, and does not mention the very remark- 

 able white marks of that species, and ho described the lower jaw 

 only as toothed. Now the upper teeth of Orca are not deciduous. 

 It is more probably a Grampns. 



LiUjeborg describes tw'o species of Orca, one with 11, and the other 

 with 12 ribs ; but they seem to vary in number in the same specimens. 

 Professor Eschricht thinks there are more than one European species 

 of Orca ; but he has not characterized the species, and only gives 

 some rambling notes on their wanting systematic consideration. 



