242 The Dolphin 



are, like those of most deep-sea pelagic fish, wrapped 

 in mystery. But although I would not care to be too 

 dogmatic upon the subject I feel sure that the Dolphin 

 deposits its ova in masses of floating weed such as the 

 gulf-weed or Sargassum bacciferum of the North 

 Atlantic. Even that, however, does not explain the 

 breeding-places of those Dolphin who inhabit the Pacific 

 and Indian Oceans or the Mediterranean, unless 

 we may suppose that, like the albacore, the Dolphin 

 circumnavigates the globe, in order to return to his 

 favourite spawning-places. One thing is certain, 

 they do not spawn at any depth, for they are an 

 essentially pelagic or surface-fish. And they are never 

 seen in the vicinity of land, except as in the case of such 

 mountain peaks as St. Helena, Ascension, St. Paul's 

 Rocks, etc., which, rising almost sheer from great 

 depths, have bold, steep-to, precipitous shores, around 

 which the Dolphin may be seen playing quite close to 

 the rocks, apparently regarding them as a new and 

 curious kind of ship. At least that is the impression 

 made upon a sailor accustomed (in a sailing ship that is) 

 to be accompanied in ocean's remotest solitudes by 

 these wonderfully friendly and beautiful fish. 



The habitat of the Dolphin is almost co-extensive 

 with that of the sperm whale and albacore. But being 

 apparently more intolerant of cold than either of these 

 sea denizens, he is seldom found so far north or south 

 as they range. Only when an exceptionally warm 

 summer heats the sea-surface considerably above its 

 usual temperature does the Dolphin extend his wander- 

 ings into unfamiliar regions, following his natural 

 food, the flying-fish and squid, who, being like himself 

 true pelagic fish, love to roam as far as they can out 

 of their usual regions when the unwonted warmth of 

 the water invites them to do so. I have seen them as 



