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etc. cuttles, squids, and fish, except in the case of the Grampus, or Killer 

 Whele, which preys upon its own brothers ! Whilst some species possess 

 teeth, others have instead plates of whalebone, or baleen ; these are plates 

 of thin horny matter, attached to the gum or palate sometimes more than 

 300 in number. Their lower edges consist of a fringe of threads acting as 

 a sieve or strainer, through which the water which the whale takes into the 

 mouth passes out, leaving the living organisms which are its food behind. 



The whale's method of obtaining its meals is to open its mouth when in 

 the middle of a shoal of tiny crustaceans ; then, closing its mouth, it blows out 

 the water through these plates of baleen, while its living food, unable to escape, 

 remains behind to be swallowed through the very narrow gullet. The " Right " 

 Whale's principal food is the small, inch-long mollusc, Clione limacina, of a 

 very vivid purple colour. 



1. The Common Porpoise (Phoccena communis) is seldom more than 5 feet 

 in length. This creature, with its blackish back and flippers and its long 

 white waistcoat, is a familiar sight all round the coast, and frequently ascends 

 our British rivers. It breeds in the spring, producing one young one at a 

 birth. Its food consists of fish, usually mackerel or salmon, or other species 

 of that size. Its hide is used for leather, and its blubber makes a valuable 

 oil. 



2. The Grampus, or COMMON "KILLER" WHALE (Orca gladiator), is fre- 

 quently met with round the British Isles, especially off the East and West of 

 Scotland, and the Shetlands and Orkneys. It may reach a length of 20-30 feet, 

 though the average is smaller. It is very curiously marked, its dark back 

 being enriched with several white patches, and the white of the under parts 

 extends in a curious bay into the black of the sides towards the tail. Its 

 back fin is long and terminates in a sharp, hard point. This mammal is ex- 

 traordinarily ferocious, attacking and eating porpoises, dolphins, seals, and 

 even the biggest whales. 



3. The Lesser Killer (Pseudorca crassidens) is seldom more than 12 feet 

 in length, and is almost completely black ; it is to be met with all over the 

 world. Fossil remains have been found in Lincolnshire, and it is not infre- 

 quently met with in the North Sea. 



4. The Black Fish (Globicephalus melas), often called the PILOT WHALE, is 

 well described by its Latin name, being entirely black but for a strip of white 

 beneath the throat, and having a very round-shaped head. It attains a 

 length of some 20 feet. Its food consists of cuttle-fish, mackerel, and other 

 fish. It is frequently seen round the coast, especially near the Orkneys and 

 Shetlands, and is noticeable for its gregarious habits, herds of two or three 

 hundred being seen together, under the leadership of one of their number, 

 whom they follow blindly. 



5. The Common Dolphin (Delphinus delphis) is often mistaken for the 

 Porpoise ; but all dolphins are easily distinguished by their pronounced " beak," 

 and this is accentuated by the bulging appearance of the forehead above it. 



