CETOLOGY. 



G'rtoiogy. accounts of others, it is probable that the ca'ing 

 > T~ ' whale of Orkney and Shetland is only a variety of 

 the grampus. 



Species 4. Delphimts Gladiator, Gladiator Dolphin, 

 or Sea Swprd. 



Gladiator Delphinus Orca, var. B. Lin. Syst. Nat. Dauphin 

 Dolphin. ipee de Mer, Bonnat. Encycl. Method. Schwerdt- 

 jisch, Anderson Island, Crantz's Greenland. Dau- 

 phin Gladiateur, La Cepede, p. 302. 



M. La Cepede has been at considerable pains to 

 distinguish this species from the preceding, and has 

 contrasted them in his table of the cetacea by the 

 following characters : In the grampus, the top of the 

 head is but little convex ; the snout proportionally 

 less rounded ; the upper jaw a little more projecting 

 than the lower ; the teeth blunt-pointed ; and the 

 dorsal fin placed towards the middle of the body, 

 and reaching in height to about the tenth part of the 

 animal's whole length : while, in the gladiator, the 

 forehead is very convex ; the snout is very much 

 rounded ; the two jaws equally advanced ; the teeth 

 sharp-pointed ; and the dorsal fin seated very near 

 the neck, and extending in height more than one- 

 fifth of the whole length of the animal. 



The gladiator dolphin measures from 23 to 25 

 feet, and its dorsal fin from 4 to 5 feet. The latter 

 is about 18 inches broad at the base, and gradually 

 tapers upwards to a point, so as to become a very for- 

 midable weapon. The body is of a brown-black co- 

 lour on the upper part, and a beautiful white on the 

 belly, with a remarkable streak of black, very long, 

 striped, and pointed, extending from each side of the 

 tail to near the articulation of the swimming paws. 



This species is found in the American seas, espe- 

 cially in Davis's Straits ; as also about Spitzber- 

 gen, in the Arctic Ocean. It has occasionally been 

 seen in the North Sea ; and not many years ago, se- 

 veral of them came up the Thames. In the year 

 1793, an individual of this species that appeared in 

 the Thames, was pierced with three harpoons, and 

 yet drew a boat, with four persons in it, twice from 

 Blackwall to Greenwich, and once as far as Dept- 

 ford, and at last expired at Greenwich. 



The gladiator dolphin is possessed of amazing 

 strength and courage. We are told of one that 

 seized on the carcase of a whale, which several boats 

 were towing away, and, in spite of the united efforts 

 of the rowers, bore it to the bottom. These animals 

 go together in large troops, and seldom appear in a 

 smaller number than five or six. They usually live 

 on the smaller fishes, but will attack even the largest 

 whales. It is this species, and not the ordinary 

 grampus, between whom and the young Greenland 

 whale such noted combats take place. A number of 

 the gladiators unite in the attack, and, like a pack 

 of hounds, fasten OR the whale in every part. One 

 seizes on the tail, in order to prevent its formidable 

 blows to the rest, while others crowd about the head, 

 and watch the moment when the whale lolls out its 

 tongue, on which the gladiators seize as a most deli- 

 cious morsel. 



The blubber of this species is very thick, and 

 yields a considerable quantity of excellent oil. 



GENUS VII. HYPEROODOST. 



Cetology, 



This genus has been formed by La Cepede, for the 

 purpose of separating that singular aniiril the Buts- 

 kopf, or Beaked whale, concerning which so much 

 confusion has appeared among preceding naturalists. 

 The distinguishing characters of this genus are, nu- 

 merous small teeth seated on the palate, and a dorsal 

 fin. There is only one known species, viz. 



Hyperoodon Butskopf, or Beaked -whale. 



Delphinus Orca ( Butskopf), Lin. Syst. Nat. Bit's* 

 kopf, Marten'^ Spitzbergen, Anderson Island, Crautz' 

 Greenland. Bottlehead, or Flounder's head, Dale, 

 Harwich. Nebbe Hval, Pontopp. Norw. Beaked- PLATE 

 ivhale, Pennant, Brit. Zool. vol. iii. Dauphin Buts- CXXXIV. 

 kopf, Bonnat. Encycl. Method. Hyperoodon Buts- F 'S- 5< 

 kopf, La Cepede, p. 319. 



The general form of the body is that of a cone, 

 the base of which is seated near the articulation of 

 the swimming paw?. The head is nearly as deep as 

 it is long, the forehead is very convex, and the snout 

 flattened and lengthened out like a beak. In the 

 lower jaw there are only two teeth, at the anterior 

 extremity, of a conical form, and pointed at the tip ; 

 but round the margin of the upper jaw, and over the 

 whole surface of the palate, are numerous minute, 

 unequal, hard, and sharp teeth. The two jaws are 

 nearly of equal length ; the tongue is serrated on the 

 margin, adheres to the lower jaw, and in substance 

 resembles that of a calf. The common orifice of the 

 blow holes has the form of a crescent, with its horns 

 directed backwards. The eye is seated about the 

 middle of the height of the head, a little above the 

 corner of the mouth. The swimming paws are pla- 

 ced very low, at about the same distance from the 

 eyes as these latter are from the snout. The dorsal 

 fin is nearer to the head than the tail, is curved back- 

 wards, and is of considerable height. The two lobes 

 of the tail fin are hollowed at the posterior margin, 

 and extend about one-fourth of the length of the ani- 

 mal, from tip to tip. 



The butskopf is generally about 24- feet long, by 

 a circumference of about 15 at i^s' thickest part. The 

 prevailing colour is brown, or blackish, with whitish 

 shades on the belly. The skin is thin ; the blubber 

 yellowish ; and the flesh of a deep red colour. This 

 animal has been found in most parts of the Northern 

 Atlantic, and the icy sea. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE CXXXIV. 



Fig, 1. The Black or Greenland Whale. 

 Fig. 2. The P.ked Whale. 

 Fig. 3. The Small-headed Narwhal. 

 Fig. 4. The Blunt-headed Cachalot, or Spermace- 

 ti Whale. 

 Fig. 5. The Butskopf or Beaked Whale. (/) 



CETUS, the WHALE. See ASTRONOMY, vol. ii. 

 p 775; arid p. 817. for an account of the variable 

 star Cell. 



CEVENNES. See FRANCE,' 



