""ishu"'] PROCEEDINGS OF THE NATIONAL MUSEUM. 201 



(4) Male. — Length, 6 feet ii iucLes. Hair-pits shallow, but distinct. 

 Umbilical fissure obliterated. Teeth about one-half inch above the 

 gums. 



(5) Male. — Length, 6 feet 4 inches. Hair-pits still discernible and 

 encircled with white. Umbilical fissure obliterated. Teeth about one- 

 half inch above the gums. 



It should be remarked that even in the largest individuals in this 

 school the hair-pits were traceable. 



In this species, when the mouth is shut, the teeth of the upper jaw- 

 fit into shallow pits in the integument of the lower jaw, situated just 

 outside the lower tooth-row. 



The color of the skin was, on the whole, remarkably uniform in all 

 the individuals observed. The upper surfaces were of a clear, purplish 

 lead-gray. This color faded out gradually, and was finally merged in 

 the pure white of the under parts. I noticed, however, some minor 

 variations in the disposition of the two colors. My observations were 

 made chiefly upon the individuals taken in the second haul on May 19. 



In some of these the white of the belly stopped abruptly opposite the 

 eye, and narrow bands of slate-color, or plumbeous gray, coursed the 

 breast from a point between the pectorals to the junction of their pos- 

 terior margin with the body. On the sides of the head the dark color 

 generally extends downward to the level of a line drawn between the 

 corner of the mouth and the anterior base of the i)ectoral fin. If the 

 lips are dark the boundary of the dark color of the head falls below the 

 corner of the mouth. A dark ring around the eye is usually perceptible, 

 and a line runs thence to the junction of the beak with the protuber- 

 ance of the forehead. There is also a faint band running from this 

 latter point along the median line to the blow-hole. On the sides the 

 light color of the under jiarts rises somewhat higher immediately be- 

 hind the pectoral fins than in the middle. Posteriorly its upper bound- 

 ary slants downward to the genitals, which are included in the light- 

 colored area. The lips have a yellowish cast. 



The young, as already indicated on page 200, vary considerably as 

 regards the depth of the gray color of the upper surfaces. 



The porpoises which were hauled up oil the beach made violent up- 

 ward and downward strokes with the tail when disturbed. I could not 

 perceive, however, that there was any independent sculling motion of 

 the caudal fins themselves. 



The fishermen informed me that the young porpoises remained near 

 their mothers when the latter were entangled in the nets, as sometimes 

 happens. I witnessed this in the case of one female, which became 

 entangled quite near the beach. I did not, however, find the young 

 porpoise among those captured. It probably escaped by diving under 

 the net, as the adult porpoises often do. 



Colonel Wainwright informed me that the mothers assisted their 



