SURFACE-SWIMMING FAUNA (VERTEBRATES). 129 



for about six hours arid then suddenly disappeared. 

 My impression was that they were attracted to 

 the ship not from a desire for more food, for 

 there was an abundance of Herrings in the straits 

 at the time, but from sheer curiosity. I think 

 the feeling of curiosity, that is to say, the desire 

 to go and look at something strange or unusual, 

 is much more prevalent among animals than we 

 generally suspect. 



It is an interesting fact about the Porpoise 

 that, although it is so fish-like in shape, it should 

 present some features which remind us of the 

 Pig. The English word is probably derived from 



FIG. 35. The common Porpoise. 



the two French words pore and poisson, and 

 therefore means " Pig-fish." The Germans call 

 it Meeresschwein, meaning "Sea-pig," and the 

 Malay word for it is "Babi-laut," which also 

 means "Sea-pig." But if we make some allow- 

 ance for those who call these Cetaceans "Pigs," 

 we must make none for those who call them 

 "Fish." 



Like all the other members of their order the 

 Porpoises have a fish-like tail, but the flaps are 

 placed horizontally and not vertically as they are 

 in Fish. The skin is quite naked, having no 

 scales of any kind, and there are no gills or gill- 

 i 



