6o 



CETACEANS. 



small species, not exceeding 4 feet in length, with forty-eight teeth on each side of 

 the jaws, which has a skull intermediate between that of the common dolphin 

 and the next species. The slender dolphin (D. attenuates) may be taken as an 



RED-BELLIED DOLPHIN. 



(From True, Bulletin of the U.S. National Museum, 1889.) 



example of a group of several species, distinguished from the common dolphin 

 and its allies by the palate being nearly flat, instead of deeply hollowed on eacli 

 side in its posterior portion. Most of them are further distinguished by the skin 



THE SLENDER DOLPHIN. 



(From True, Bulletin of the U.S. National Museum, 1889.) 



being either spotted, or marked with longitudinal bands. The slender dolphin is 

 a spotted species from the Atlantic and the Cape of Good Hope ; while the Malayan 

 dolphin (D. malayanus), from the Indian Ocean, which attains a length of 6 J feet, 

 is uniform ashy grey. 



THE BOTTLE-NOSED DOLPHINS. 

 Genus Tursiops. 



The bottle-nosed dolphin, or, as it is often incorrectly called, porpoise (Tar mops 

 tursio), is the best known of three or four species constituting a genus distinct from 

 Delphinus. The general form of these dolphins is stout, with the beak shorter and 

 more tapering than in the true dolphins, and the number of teeth considerably less 

 not exceeding from twenty-two to twenty-six on each side of the jaws. 



The bottle-nosed dolphin attains a length of from 9J feet to 12 feet. In colour 

 it is usually purplish grey above, passing gradually into pure white on the under- 

 parts ; but some specimens are black above and pale grey below, while others are 

 grey all over. 



