Born./. \OSSD DOLPUI\ 44Q 







In former days the flesh of the Dolphin was thought to be a very great luxury, so great, 

 in. 1. .-.!, that :i Dolphin was considered :w a noble present to be made to the Duke of Norfolk 

 b\ Dr. Cain-, tin- well known founder <>f th> college bearing his name. Aa the Dolphin, in 

 ci.inmnu with tho porpoise nnd all the cetacean-, was r< in*idcr<<< 1 as U-l-.n-iii:,' to the fishes, 

 it- tlesh was a pennitt.-d diet u]x,n iiiiiigre days, when all flesh meat wan rigidly forbidden by 



mfesiastic pi..hibiti..n. ami was served to : lUfl wiA I uce coin] i of luva i . nnlis, vine 



gar, and sugar. Now-a-days, however, tho flesh of the Dolphin has fallen entirely into 

 disrepute aa an article of diet, and is not to be restored to its former station even by the f< >i < . 



of pivlatical discipline. 



It is :i liveh mid playful uninial, and being remarkably active in its native element, is 

 fond of gamtolling among the waxes, and engaging in various sjiort.s with its roni]>anions. 

 Being of a xer\ gregarious nature, it is seldom seen alone, but prefers to associate in littln 

 tlocks or henK and i- in the habit of accoinpanyjiii,' ships for considerable distances, hoxerini: 

 about the vessel and executing various strung*' manuMivres. Sometimes it falls a victim to its 

 curiosity, and when paying too clow- a visit to the vessel is struck with the "grains," or 

 barbed trident, which is kept on board in readiness for such an occasion, and is hauled strug- 

 gling on deck, where it is soon deprixed <>f life. 



The. formation of the Dolphin's brain is of such a nature that it indicates gn-at intelligence 

 on the part of its possessor, and goes far towards continuing some of the current re|>ort- n 

 this subject. It is said that Dolphins have been tamed and taught to feed from the hand of 

 their instructor, beside jM-rforming sundry feats at his bidding. That the seals an* eminently 

 capable of instruction is a well known fact, and it is probable that the Dolphins may not be 

 less endowed with intellectual lowers. 



l-Yom the ]M-culiar sha])e of the snout and jaws, which are rather flattened and consider- 

 ably elongated, the animal has derived its French titles of "Becd'Oie" and "Oiede Mer," 

 i.e. Goose-beak, or Sea-goose. The forehead is rather rounded, and descends suddenly towanls 

 the base of the "beak." The "beak" itself is about six inches in length in a imxlerately 

 Mfc-d specimen, and is separated from the forehead by a small but distinct ridge. The Dol- 

 phin only produces a single young one at a time, and nurses her offspring with nil muling 

 te||.|erne ;m ,l a idnitx . 



The common Dolphin is found in the. European seas, and in the Atlantic and the Medi- 

 terranean, and may possibly have a still wider range. There are Dolphins to be found near 

 the coasts of Africa and America, but whether they belong to the same species as the common 

 Dolphin is at present a mooted point. 



IN the BOTTLK-XOSED DOLPHIX there is not such an extraordinary array of teeth as in the 

 preceding animal, their maximum number being one hundred, and their average abont eighty- 

 five. The average length of this animal is between seven and eight feet, although specimens 

 have been taken which measured between ten and eleven feet in length. 



The color of the Hot tie-nosed Dolphin is rather different from that of the common Dolphin. 

 Its back is not of tin- same jetty hue, but is deeply tinged with purple, its flanks are dusky, 

 and the under portions are grayish-white, and do not glisten with the pure silvery-white of the 

 ordinary Dolph in of our coasts. 



Although it is a rare animal, it has more than once been captured. Two Bottle-nosed 

 Dolphins, a mother and her > mini: one, were caught upon the sea-coast, where they had been 

 seen for several days haunting tin- neighborhood. The first of these specimens was captured 

 when it had ascended the river about five miles, and was so powerful and active that it did not 

 resign its life until it had fought for a space of four hours against eight men armed with spears 

 and irtins. and assist.-d by dogs. While struggling with its foes it bellowed loudly, making a 

 sound like that of an enrainil bull. This individual was more than eleven feet in length. 



In many instances the teeth of the Hot tie-nosed Dolphin are extremely blunt, a circum- 

 stance which was once thought to be peculiar to the species. Mr. Bell, however, proves to the 

 contrary by the fact of possessing two skulls of Bottle nosed Dolphins, in which the teeth arc 

 of the usual length, and as sharp as in the ordinary Dolphin. When the, teeth are thus worn 



