390 CETACEA. 



GENUS GRAMPUS. 



The characteristics of this genus are a rounded head, a convex fore- 

 head, conical teeth, and ovate pectoral fins. It contains three species, of 

 which none are found in our American waters. 



Cuvier's GrAxMPUS, Grampus Cuvitrii, is of a bluish-black cok)r 

 above, dirty white below. It loses its upper teeth at an early period, 

 and preserves only a few of its lower ones. It is distinguished from the 

 Orca glddiator — the Grampus of English sailors — by the lower position of 

 the dorsal fin. 



GENUS ORCA. 



Of the four species assigned to this genus, we need only mention 

 two, both of which are commonly called Grampus, a word corrupted 

 from the Yvench graiiii poisson, "great fish." 



The Killer or Grampus, Orca gladiator, is also called the " Gladi- 

 ator Dolphin," and has obtained in the Northern seas the somewhat 

 misleading name of " Sword-fish " from its large sabre-Uke dorsal fin, 

 which it is erroneously supposed to use as a weapon. It attains a 

 length of eighteen to twenty feet. It possesses forty-four teeth, strongly 

 made and slightly curved. It is black on the upper part of the body, 

 white on the abdomen and sides, with a white patch above and behind 

 the eve. 



Although it sometimes wanders into more southern regions, its 

 favored home is near the coasts of Greenland and Spitzbergen, where it 

 congregates in small herds. It is a very wolf in its constant hunger, and 

 commits great havoc among the larger fish, such as the cod, the skate, 

 and the halibut : at times it is said to make systematic attacks on seals, 

 by startling them from their slumber as they lie sunning themselves on 

 the rocks or ice, and seizing them as they plunge half-asleep into the sea. 

 Even the smaller porpoises and dolphins fall victims to the Grampus, as 

 has been proved by the discovery of their remains in the dissected 

 stomach of one of these animals. 



In ancient times the Grampus seems to have been seen in the Medi- 

 terranean Sea, as Pliny mentions a whale which had white streaks on 

 the head : but at present it does not seem to penetrate the Straits of 

 Gibraltar, although very common on the English and French coasts. A 



