DOLPHINS, PORPOISES 



more often than not ornamented with representations of 

 the sacred sea-beast. Many of these images were at first 

 very roughly executed; sculpture had not yet reached 

 the high perfection which it subsequently attained, and 

 probably none of the artists had ever seen a dolphin very 

 near. The later sculptors were too loyal to the work of 

 their predecessors as well as too much bound by tradition 

 to attempt to alter or improve on the generally accepted 

 idea of what a dolphin ought to be, and so century after 

 century went by, still leaving the people under the im- 

 pression that it was a sort of dog-headed fish. 



So far from its head being round, it has a much longer 

 and sharper muzzle than the porpoise, and has been 

 known from time immemorial among the French fisher- 

 men as the bee cToie or goose-bill. Its average length 

 is a little over seven feet. It has a most shark-like 

 appetite, and will not only gorge itself on fish, but will 

 make a meal of an elderly, or wounded, or dying brother ; 

 and, as its mouth is furnished with about a hundred 

 and eighty long, pointed teeth, it is well equipped for 

 such a repast. The home of the common dolphin is the 

 Mediterranean and the North Atlantic ; but varieties are 

 found all over the world, the largest known species being 

 the grampus, which may be seen anywhere north of our 

 own shores. 



The dolphin has blow-holes or spiracles ; but, unlike 

 those of the whale, they are joined together so as to 

 make but one opening, which is placed a little above the 

 eyes. In colour it is black, gradually shading off to 

 white under the belly ; in addition to its flippers it has 



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