found m the Orkney Islands. 18S 



middle of tail, 1 foot ; at 8 inches from tail, 6 inches. Girth of 

 head at blow-hole 2 feet 6^ inches. Tip of snout to blow-hole 

 1 foot \\ inch. Ijcngth of beak 2\ inches. Height of dorsal 

 fin 9 inches. These measurements were from a male. There i^ 

 a dark mark around the eye, about | of an inch broad. The 

 eye is small, and the form of the pupil is crescentic, with the 

 points upwards. The blow-hole is situated between the eyes ; 

 its form is crescentic, the concave side being forward, and there 

 is a slight depression around the blow-hole. An auditory meatus 

 is present (not to be found in several) above and rather behind 

 the eye, and over the anterior portion of the pectoral fin. Its 

 opening would admit a No. 1 shot. The head is sharp and 

 beaked ; the lower jaw a little longer than the upper. The 

 number of teeth is ^ ^; they are largest in the middle of 

 the jaw, and gradually diminish in size towards each end, those 

 at the anterior extremities of each jaw being the smallest. 

 There are no teeth at the symphysis of either jaw for the space 

 of nearly an inch. In form they are conical, being slightly in- 

 curved at the back, and nearly straight in front; those in the 

 lower jaw are most incurved. While the teeth in the upper 

 jaw point forwards, those in the lower jaw point backwards ; 

 so that when the mouth is shut, they lock into each other very 

 closely, and the points of the teeth are lodged in little fossa 

 in both jaws : these fossae appear to be only in the mem- 

 brane of the gum. The palate is smooth and spotted. The 

 tongue is not free, but, the frsnam being large, it admits of 

 great movement; it is black at the centre, and white at the 

 margins. At the symphysis of the lower jaw the lip turns up- 

 wards, and has two slight elevations, which fit into two corre- 

 sponding notches in the upper lip. There is a regular pro* 

 labium in the upper lip, so as to give it a pointed appearance. 

 The colour of the back is jet black. There is a long streak to- 

 wards the tail, of a dirty yellowish colour. About the middle of 

 each side there is a very conspicuous oblong white streak, under 

 which the sides are dusky. The belly is of a beautiful clear 

 white. The pectoral and dorsal fins are black. The tail is black, 

 with a very little white underneath. 



From this animal being shortly but decidedly beaked, I as- 

 sume that it belongs to the genus Delphintu ; but I can find no 

 description of a species in the works of Bell, Fleming, and Jar- 

 dine which agrees with it. It seems to come nearer to the de- 

 scription of the Delphinus Tttrsio of Fabricius than to any other; 

 but I have no doubt it will be found to be different. The sym- 

 metry of its form, and more particularly the great beauty of the 

 colours, when contrasted with each other, with the streaks and 



