GIANTS OF THE DEEP 327 



of them, many species of Cetaceans as well as other mammals 

 must of necessity be passed by, and if the reader is desirous of 

 following up the subject further, some standard work should be 

 consulted. Before bringing this chapter to a close, however, it 

 may be stated that there are various kinds of Short and Long 

 Beaked Dolphins, Bottlenosed Dolphins, and Rough-Toothed 

 Dolphins. With these it is not intended, nor is it possible, to 

 deal, but before passing on to consider the claims of some mammals 

 of the air reference may be made to the Common Dolphin 

 (Delphinus delphis) which represents the true Dolphins belonging 

 to the genus Delphinus. 



COMMON DOLPHIN.— This species inhabits both cold and warm 

 seas. It has a long narrow beak — as indeed have all the forms 

 included in the genus — a number of sharply-pointed teeth, a small 

 head and slender body. The flippers are long and pointed, and 

 the usual colour of the body is dark-grey, with white or whitish 

 underneath. The Common Dolphin measures up to seven or seven 

 and a half feet in length. It is a sociable beast like so many of its 

 relatives, and is full of activity and playfulness. It appears to 

 delight in following a ship, and affords considerable pleasure to 

 passengers who are glad of having the monotony of a long voyage 

 relieved by watching the manoeuvres of these children of the sea. 



The food is made up of various kinds of fish, but some of the 

 other species of the true Dolphins partake also of both crustaceans 

 and molluscs. 



Only one young is born, but this single offspring is, it is pleasant 

 to notice, tended with loving solicitude, and thus this creature 

 resembles some of its larger relatives described at an earlier stage 

 in this section of our work. 



True enough, this chapter deals for the most part with the 

 animals whose claims for inclusion among "Giants of the Deep" 

 could not be disputed, but other members of the same great order 

 of mammals are included whose claims to be designated "Giants" 

 are not worthy of consideration. Yet it has been thought best not 

 to ostracize these from the rest, and, as has been remarked else- 

 where, some amount of latitude must be allowed in a book which 

 purports to set out in a popular way a general survey of some of 

 the more interesting mammals of land and sea. 



