536 THE ZIPHIUS. 
When the upper part of the head was opened, it was found to contain spermaceti. 
which lay in a mass of two feet in thickness in the usual locality. The blow-hole is 
eraphically termed the “lum” or chimney. 
In concluding this brief history of the Whales, it must be once more remarked, that, 
in spite of the earnest labours of many excellent observers, our knowledge of these 
wondrous creatures is as yet exceedingly rudimentary, and even the genera are “not clearly 
ascertained. The native Greenlanders seem to possess a very large amount of information 
on this subject, and are extremely accurate in their knowledge of the various Whales and 
their habits. It has therefore been happily suggested, that succeeding voyagers should 
take advantage of this circumstance, and should use their best endeavours to extract from 
those illiterate, but very practical savages, the knowledge which they really possess. 
ZIPHIUS.—Ziphius Sowerbiensis. 
DOLPHINS. 
THE MEMBERS of this family do not possess the enormous head which characterises the 
true whales, and have teeth in both jaws, although they are liable to fall out at an early 
age. The blow-holes are united teins so as to form a single lunate opening, which is 
set transversely on the crown of the head. When first born, the young Dolphins are 
remarkable for their very great proportional dimensions, being little less than one-fourth 
the size of the parent, and affording a wonderful contrast to the marsupials, whose young 
are of such minute proportions when first born. 
From the circumstance that the lower jaws are only furnished with two teeth, the rare 
and curious animal which is represented in the accompanying illustration is sometimes 
scientifically termed the Diodon, or two-toothed animal. But as this generic title has 
already been appropriated to the urchin-fishes, the name has been more recently changed 
into Ziphius. 
In the animals which belong to this genus, the spout-holes are placed upon the top of 
the head, the throat is furnished with two diverging furrows, and the teeth are only two 
in number, rather large in proportion to the skull, slightly curved and compressed, and 
are situated in the middle of the lower jaw. The pectoral fins are placed rather low, and 
their shape is oval, tapering towards their extremities. Sowerby’s Ziphius is so called, 
