THE DOLPHINS. 



hairs. The body is thick, the dorsal fin 

 scarcely indicated, the tail fin large, but only 

 slightly hollowed out behind, the fore-limbs 



5 



very long, and very narrow at the end. The 

 blow-hole is simple, and has the form of a 

 horse -shoe with the convexity directed 



uiter Dolphin \Platanistagangt 



towards the forehead. There are as many 

 as 70 short wrinkled teeth thickened at the 

 base. These dolphins, which are very 

 abundant in many localities, lead a very noisy 



life, and here and there are protected by a 

 number of prejudices and superstitious tales 

 against persecution by the Indians. They 

 attain, like the Platanista, a length of only 



Fig. 132. The Inia or Amazon Dolphin (lain amazoiiica 



feet. The back is bluish, the belly of a 

 rose-colour. 



The true Marine Dolphins {Delphinus} 

 approach this fresh-water genus in the horse- 

 shoe-shape of the blow-hole, and in the 



possession of a long beak with numerous 

 teeth. The Common Dolphin (Delphinus 

 dclphis), fig. 133, which is found in the 

 ocean, in the Mediterranean, and the Red 

 Sea, is the best-known representative of the 



