THE COMMON PORPOISE. 225 



rivers when led by the pursuit of fish, but do not in 

 general pass the place where the salt and fresh 

 water mix. It does not seem ascertained whether 

 they are migratory in their habits. The inhabitants 

 of Iceland fish them principally in the month of 

 June ; according to Fabricius, it is principally in 

 summer they frequent the coasts of Greenland ; and 

 it has been remarked, that it is especially in winter 

 and early spring they are met with on the northern 

 coasts of France : these facts are in favour of the 

 supposition. 



When the surface of the sea is smooth, they are 

 often seen to spring out of the water, and to make 

 considerable leaps, as if romping and amusing them- 

 selves. This is especially the case in the fine wea- 

 ther of summer, which is supposed to be their 

 rutting season; and then they appear to be very 

 combative and furious, and blind alike to all danger, 

 risk, and snares. At this time they sometimes furi- 

 ously dash against a vessel, or precipitate themselves 

 upon the shore. According to Anderson, they carry 

 their young six months ; the cub at birth is about 

 twenty inches long, and the mother, as in all the 

 other genera, watches over it with the most tender 

 care. In ten years it is stated to have acquired its 

 full growth. 



The food of the Porpoise is chiefly fish, which it 

 pursues with great rapidity and seizes with great 

 address. They are occasionally observed in numbers 

 to pursue the shoals of herring, mackerel, &c. which 

 they drive into the bays under great apparent terror. 



