ORCELLA. 283 
and Indus, the oil is universally considered as of great value as an 
embrocation in rheumatism and for giving much strength when rubbed 
on the back and loins. But many other animal oils, such as those of 
various species of turtle, the crocodile, and the pelican, have a similar 
reputation. It is said to be of a very penetrating nature, and, owing 
to this property, it is highly prized for preserving leather, such as 
harness, &c. The illuminating powers of this oil are said to be very 
high.” (Anderson’s ‘ Anatomical and Zoological Researches,’ ) 
Jerdon gives, on the authority of Blyth, another species, Platanista 
Lndi, or the Indus porpoise, but Dr. Anderson has conclusively ‘proved 
that this is identical with the Gangetic dolphin. The dentition of the 
soosoo is most curious. ‘The perfect tooth in the young animal is sharp 
and pointed, but as the creature advances in age the fangs get broader, 
and the point wears down, till in old age the crown is so worn as to leave 
but a bony lump in its place. 
GENUS ORCELLA—THE ROUND-HEADED RIVER 
DOLPHINS. 
The generic characteristics of these dolphins are, according to 
Dr. Anderson, as follows: ‘‘ Head globular; dorsal fin low, situated 
behind the middle of the body ; pectoral fins oval, about one-sixth the 
length of the animal ; teeth conical, large, and fewer in the lower than 
in the upper jaw, thirteen to seventeen teeth in the upper and twelve to 
fourteen teeth in the lower jaw; skull beaked; beak broad at the 
base, anteriorly pointed ; premaxillary not much laterally dilated, bear- 
ing one tooth; vertebree sixty-two to sixty-three; first two cervical 
vertebrae ankylosed; lumbar transverse process moderately long; 
vertebre ribs twelve to thirteen, with one or two free ribs; pelvic bones 
opposite thirty-fifth and thirty-sixth vertebree.” 
These are the dolphins which were procured by Mr. Blyth in the 
Hooghly, and were supposed by him to be the young of the ca’ing 
whale (Globicephalus), which idea has also been adopted by Jerdon ; 
but it has been since proved that the skeletons prepared from these 
supposed young whales are those of adults fully matured, and not of 
young animals, which have certain resemblances to Glodicephalus as well 
as to the killer whales, Ovca, from which the generic name has been 
derived, but yet was undoubtedly distinct. The killer whales have a 
very high dorsal fin in the middle of the back, with very large pectoral 
flippers as broad as long ; in Orced/a the back fin is low and behind the 
middle of the body, and the pectoral fin is only half as broad as long. 
In the ca’ing whale the back fin is more towards the shoulders, and the 
flippers are long and narrow; the genus Orce/a in fact seems to be 
intermediate between the dolphin and the ca’ing whale, combining the 
