26 



THE FOOD OF ANIMALS 



some forms) by a couple of little bones embedded in the muscles, 

 and not to be seen from the outside. 



All Cetaceans are carnivorous, and as, in feeding, they are 

 obliged to open their mouths under water, there would be constant 

 danger of choking were there not some special arrangement for 

 preventing water from getting into the lungs. Such a contrivance 

 is here found in the top of the windpipe, which is drawn out into 

 a long cone that fits into the internal opening of the nasal passage. 

 Food can pass back on either side of thiscone to the gullet, while 

 at the same time there is no interference with breathing. 



Cetaceans are divided as a matter of convenience into Toothed 

 Whales (Odontoceti) and Toothless Whales (Mystacoceti)> which 

 will be considered separately, as their food and way of feeding 

 differ considerably. 



TOOTHED WHALES (ODONTOCETI) 



Here are included the Dolphin and Sperm-Whale Families, the 

 members of which vary from 6 to 90 feet in length. 



DOLPHIN FAMILY (Delphinida). The most familiar animal 

 belonging to this family is the Porpoise (Phoccena communis] (see 



Fig. 319. Killer-Whale (Orca gladiator] 



vol. i, p. 100), which is about 6 feet in length, with rounded 

 snout, and jaws armed with about one hundred small sharp, 

 pointed teeth. These are well suited to the nature of the food, 



