THE BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS 1233 



its allies by the palate being nearly flat, instead of deeply hollowed on each side in 

 its posterior portion. Most of them are further distinguished by the skin being 



RED-BEUJED DOLPHIN. 

 (From True, Bulletin of the U. S. National Museum, 1889.) 



either spotted or marked with longitudinal bands. The slender dolphin is a spotted 

 species from the Atlantic and the Cape of Good Hope; while the Malayan dolphin 



THE SLENDER DOLPHIN. 

 (From True, Bulletin of the U.S. National Museum, 1889.) 



(D. malayanus), from the Indian Ocean, which attains a length of six and one- 

 fourth feet, is uniform ashy gray. 



THE BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS 

 Genus Tursiops 



The bottle-nosed dolphin, or, as it is often incorrectly called, porpoise 

 siops tursio), is the best known of three or four species constituting a genus 

 distinct from Delphinus. The general form of these dolphins is stout, with the 

 beak shorter and more tapering than in the true dolphins, and the number of 

 teeth considerably less not exceeding from twenty-two to twenty-six on each 

 side of the jaws. 



The bottle-nosed dolphin attains a length of from nine and one-half to 

 twelve feet. In color it is usually purplish gray above, passing gradually into pure 

 white on the under parts; but some specimens are black above and pale gray below, 

 while others are gray all over. 

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