Dr. Clark on the Capture of a Bottle-nosed Dolphin. 101 
Mr. Jenyns mentions another instance of its occurrence in the 
river at Preston, the length of which was 11 feet. 
Col. Montagu apparently describes another taken in the river 
Dart in Devonshire, the length of which was 12 feet. 
Prof. Bell continues, “‘ The history and description of this ani- 
mal are still deficient; it is probably a rare or local species, 
and may be chiefly confined to the northern seas ;”’ he also believes 
it probable, with Mr. Jenyns (Brit. Vert. p. 41), that Delphinus 
truncatus of Mont. (Mem. Wern. Soc. i. p. 75. t. 3) may be 
admitted as a synonym of this species. The one described by 
Montagu as taken in the river Dart in Devon, about five miles 
from the mouth of the river, was 12 feet in length and 8 in cir- 
cumference at the largest part. When wounded it is said to have 
made a noise like the “ bellowing of a bull.” 
Our specimen is a female, 8 feet 4 inches in length and 4 feet 
in girth. In colour it is black on the back, gray and purplish 
gray on the sides, and white with tinges of dusky white beneath. 
Forehead convex ; jaws produced, subrostral, lower a little longer 
as 122 eae 
than the upper. Teeth conical, = : 5). 
In taking a general view of the creature I noticed the follow- 
ing proportions, viz. the dorsal fin appears to occupy the middle 
region between the point of the jaw and tip of the caudal fin: 
then drawing an imaginary line perpendicularly down from the 
anterior base of the dorsal fin, the pectoral fins appear to occupy 
the middle region between this line and the point of the jaw; 
whilst the cloaca occupies the middle region between the same 
line and the base of the caudal fin. 
There is a degree of beauty and elegance about the creature 
with regard to its general colouring and form, the fins presenting 
a series of ogee curves: the dorsal fin is ample and curves back- 
ward ; the pectoral fins appear rather small in proportion to the 
size of the animal ; the caudal fin, being the principal instrument 
of propulsion, is ample. The compressed character of the caudal 
extremity of the body is carried from the base along the middle 
region of the depressed fin so as to produce a ridge both above 
and below it, giving that part a peculiarly elegant form, and en- 
suring the greatest amount of effect in its vertical action upon 
the medium in which the creature is swimming. 
The respiratory aperture is 1 foot 2 inches from the point of 
the nose, and looking at the animal in profile appears to form 
an isosceles triangle with the eye and point of nose, the short 
side of which triangle is bounded by this aperture and the eye: 
it is so completely closed by the valvular arrangement as to ap- 
pear like a curved crescentic line with the ends or horns directed 
forwards. The extremities of this aperture are one inch and three- 
