THE DOLPHINS. 99 
as they principally prey upon the smaller finny tribes ; and to obtain them shoot 
swiftly through the water, seizing the object of pursuit with the slightest effort. 
Occasionally a large number of them will get into a school of fish, frightening them 
so much that they will dart around in all directions, taking no regular course to 
escape their pursuers, and finally get so bewildered as to lose nearly all control 
over their movements. At such times the Striped Porpoise is manifestly the "sea 
swine," filling itself to repletion. 
In perfectly calm weather they are sometimes seen huddled together on the 
glaring surface, their heads slightly raised, or reclining a little on their sides, as if 
resting from their constant activity ; but such instances are not frequent. Gener- 
ally they are seen in great numbers rushing over and through the undulating sea, 
exhibiting their active habits and propensity to roam over an unlimited extent of 
ocean. 
SECTION VL-BAIRD'S DOLPHIN. 
Delphutus Bairdh, Dall. (Plate six, fig 1.) 
This Dolphin inhabits the Pacific North American coast, in common with other 
varieties which abound in those waters. At a distance it much resembles the Com- 
mon Porpoise of fishermen and sailors ; but it differs in several points from that 
species. We were so fortunate as to obtain two female specimens off Point Argu- 
ello, in the fall of 1872, from which we obtained the following notes. Apparently, 
both individuals were adults, and nearly the same size and weight. The body of 
the Delphinus JBairdii is more slender, and its snout more elongated and rounded, 
than that of the Striped or Common Porpoise, and may be compared to the bill of a 
snipe. Its teeth are slender, conical, and slightly curved inward. Its dorsal fin is 
more erect and less falcated than that of the Lagenorhynchus obliquidens, while the 
pectorals are nearly of the same shape and comparative proportions ; but the caudal 
fin is less in breadth, and greater in proportionate expansion. Its back, immediately 
forward of the dorsal fin, is somewhat concave, so that when taking a side view 
the upper contour appears lower before than behind the fin. Its varied colors 
are, top and sides of head, black ; sides of body behind the vent, and both sides 
of pectorals and flukes, a greenish black ; a black patch around the eye, with a 
white streak passing forward above the mouth ; a continuous black streak from the 
side of the under jaw to the anterior edge of the pectorals ; sides, behind the eye, 
gray — the upper boundary of this color being somewhat above the plane of that 
organ, beginning to curve downward just behind the dorsal fin, and meeting both 
