242 THE COMMON DOLPHIN. 



vertebrae. Finally, the brain of the Dolphin, as of 

 the porpoise, is very large, and developed to an 

 extent which is quite extraordinary among the lower 

 animals. Its weight, in relation to that of the whole 

 body has been stated as one to twenty-fire, which 

 is the same as that in man ; the average of four 

 accounts stated in Cuvier's Comparative Anatomy, 

 is one-fiftieth of the whole weight : in the castor 

 the proportion is as one to two hundred and ninety, 

 and in the elephant as one to five hundred. This 

 would lead to the supposition that the intelligence 

 and mental capacity of the Dolphin are considerable ; 

 little direct proof indeed exists, owing to the dif- 

 ficulty of observing the habits of the animal ; but 

 any indications which have been noticed are favour- 

 able to the supposition. 



Few if any of the order appear to be more raven- 

 ous than the Dolphins. They live upon the medusae 

 and fishes, especially upon flat fish, cod, mullets, 

 pilchards, and herrings. They are so bold as to 

 approach the nets, and have thus sometimes been 

 supposed to be the auxiliaries of the fishermen. 



The Common Dolphin is an inhabitant of the 

 European Seas, of the Atlantic, and Mediterranean. 

 It is more common in the temperate zone than in 

 places that are further south. It is true that other 

 species of this genus frequent the seas of Africa, 

 Asia, and America; but it is by no means satis- 

 factorily ascertained that the species now under 

 consideration has this extensive range. The opposite 

 opinion seems to be much more probable. They 



