354 KINGSTON HARBOUR. 



THE DOLPHIN. 



" Herds of a species of Delphinus have been often 

 observed in Kingston harbour. The first and the 

 last time they came under my attention was at Pas- 

 sage Fort ; the last time was in the month of March, 

 1842. Regularly about an hour before sun-down 

 for a succession of days, a company of some eight or 

 ten would be seen scudding from sea-ward close in- 

 shore, and taking up a station at the mouth of the 

 Rio Cobre, within the river current, where it rip- 

 pled out, half salt and half fresh. The ground, to 

 some distance off, rose into dry sand-bars, and no 

 portion of the water thereabouts was more than just 

 deep enough to permit the Dolphins to toss and 

 tumble in. From the perfect revelry with which 

 they sported up and down, it was obvious that some 

 particular food attracted them to these waters. They 

 coursed about like terriers hunting rats. I inquired 

 of Mr. Kirkpatrick, who was thoroughly acquainted 

 with all the wild nature hereabouts, both on land 

 and in the water, and who was an excellent observer 

 of the habits and instincts of animals, what he con- 

 cluded drew these Dolphins to this strange locality ; 

 he stated that the little fry at these freshets, were 

 preyed upon by young Sharks from eight to eighteen 

 inches in length, and that these young sharks had 

 been found to be a favourite food wdth the Dolphin. 

 The fishermen, he said, were so firmly fixed in this 

 conviction, that, believing in their usefulness in thin- 

 ning the number of sharks, they were extremely 

 unwilling to molest them ; the consequence was that 



