DELPllINUS DELPIIIS. 45 



ill the present state of our knowledge it is distingaisliable from Prodel- 

 phimis, its nearest ally, and it would even appear that i*. roseiventris, 

 Wagner, in some degree anuuls the value of this distiuction, since the 

 grooves of its palate are shallow, though the pterygoids are very nar- 

 row, as in D. ddpMs. 



DELPIIINUS DELrniS Linu6. 



Delpltintis dvJpkis, Linui'?, Sj-st. Nat., 10th eel., 17.5S, p. 77. 



Velphinus major, Gray, Cat. Seals aud Whales, 18G(), p. 31X3. 



DvlpU'mus fidvofasdatus, Wagner, Schreber's Silugeth., pi. 3G1, iig. 1 ; Hombron 



and Jacquinot, Zool. Voyage de I'Astrolabo et Zelde, iii, 1853, p. 37, Atlas, pi. 



21, fig. 1, pi. 23, tigs. 1,2. 

 1). Forstcri, Gray, Cat. Seals and Whales, 18GG, p. 248; Synopsis, 1868, p. S. 

 Vdphinus janira, Gray, Zool. Erebus and Terror, 1846, p. 41, pi. 23; Catalogue, 



Istetl., 1850, p. 123; 2ded., 1866, pp. 24.5, 398; Supplement, 1868, p. 68. 

 Bdphlnus iiomcegra, Owen, Trans. Zool. Soc. Loudon, vi, 1869, p. 23. 

 Vdphinus Batrdii, Dall, Proc. California Acad. Sci., v, 1873, p. 12 ; Scaiumon's Mar. 



Maiuui.,1874, p.283. 

 Ddphinus Moorei, Gray, Catalogue, 1866, p. 396 ; Supplement, p. 68. 

 Ddpkinm ira^/ceri. Gray, Catalogue, 1866, ]). 397; Supplement, p. 68. 

 1 Delphi II Its novcc-zcalandiw, Quoy & Gaimard, Voyage de I'Astrolobe, Manim., 



1830, p. 149. 

 DdpMnus aJhimanus, Peale, U. S. Esplor. Exped., 1st ed., Vlil, 1848, Mamm. aud 



Orniih., 1848, p. 33 ; Cassiu, ditto, 2d cd., 1858, p. 29, pi. 6, fig. 1. 

 Ddphinus margiiiattis, Lafont, Actes d, 1. Soc. Linn, de Borde^iux, 3d ser., yi, p. 



518. 

 D. fu^iis, souverhianus, variegatns, baJtcalus, mosdiolus, Lafont, Fischer, Actes d. 



1. Soc. Liuu. de Bordeaux, 4th ser., v, 1881, p. 127. 



The elaborate discussion of this species by Fischer (op. cit.) leaves 

 little to be said until great accumulations of new material have been 

 made. I shall confine myself, therefore, to the consideration of his 

 conclusions in the light of such material as I have at command. From 

 the examination of fresh specimens and skulls, I am convinced that the 

 common Belphinus of the Atlantic coast of North America is, as it has 

 geuerally been considered to be, identical with Liniie's Delpliinus del- 

 pliis. I have little hesitancy, therefore, in testing the conclusions based 

 upon European specimens by specimens from American waters. 



As regards the color of this species, I am convinced of the wisdom 

 of Professor Fischer's remarks: "On ne saurait etablir des especes 

 d'apres des carateres aussi iustables." There are in my charge draw- 

 ings of four specimens taken at difterent times on our Atlantic coast, 

 and a photograph of a fifth. No two of these agree exactly with one 

 another nor with any of Lafout's species. 



Drawing No. 1 represents an individual similar to that represented 

 by Professor Fischer (PI. iv, Fig. 1), under the name of D. dclpUis, var. 

 fusus. It differs, however, in having no white area on the side below 

 the dorsal tin. An area over the anus is yellowish, like the anterior 

 portion of the side. The long narrow streaks of color on the sides are 

 gray rather than greenish or black. The sex of this specimen and the 

 next is unfortunately unrecorded. 



