THE DOLPHIN 417 



Whale, whose length of sixteen feet affords a hide well 

 worth tanning. This fish hide is said to make the strongest 

 leather known. It serves capitally for traces, and at one 

 time the Canadian mail-bags were made of it ; it will stand 

 much chafing, and hard wear makes little impression on it. 



DOLPHIN (Delphinus delphis). 

 Coloured Plate XXX. Fig. 5. 



The Dolphin in appearance more closely approaches the 

 fishes than any other of the Cetacean order, and sailors 

 often mistake for it the brilliantly coloured fish, the Cory- 

 phene, which feeds chiefly upon flying fish. In colour the 

 Dolphin is simply black above and white below. It grows 

 to a length of seven or eight feet. The head terminates in 

 a long, pointed, beak-like muzzle, and on each side of the 

 jaw are from thirty to fifty teeth, the lower of which under- 

 lock with the upper ones in rat-trap fashion. 



The Dolphin is an insatiable fish-eater, and it makes fierce 

 raids upon the shoals of herrings, pilchards, and other fish 

 that abound on the British coasts. It has a cannibalistic 

 habit that is perhaps practised by no other Cetacean. Any 

 one of their number that is wounded is at once torn in 

 pieces and devoured by its voracious companions. 



The flesh of the Dolphin is white, full of flavour, and 

 quite equal, if not superior, to cod, but for some undis- 

 covered reason it is sometimes poisonous. No examination 

 or application of any test will assist in marking any undesir- 

 able fish ; it can only be discovered when it is too late, and 

 the swollen face and distorted features appear to prove to 

 the unfortunate that he made an unwise choice. 



Possibly in eating the Delphinus globiceps, or bottle-nosed 

 variety, there is less risk. The Faroe islanders in particular 

 catch thousands of them. After the removal of the fat, 

 which is rendered into oil, the flesh is cut into strips as 

 long as an arm, which are hung in and about the houses to 

 dry. The drying process may prove a sore olfactory trial to 

 visitors, but to the islanders the smell is the harbinger of 

 solid creature comforts that they cannot afford to despise. 



28 



