1864.) DR. J. E. GRAY ON BRITISH CETACEA. 235 
A female came ashore in Orkney in 1687, which was described by 
Sibbald (Bal. 43) :—*‘ The dorsal fin was erect, like a mizen mast.” 
Mr. Barclay, of Zetland, states that ‘‘ the Physeter tursio, or 
High-finned Cachalot, is frequently seen on these coasts in summer, 
and is easily distinguished by the long perpendicular fin on its back ”’ 
(Bell, Brit. Quad. 513). Coast of Cornwall?, May 1850 (Mr. 
Couch) ; Ireland, Coast of Wexford (Thompson); West Coast, Ire- 
land (Templeton). 
The greatest desideratum of zoology is the power of examining 
some specimens of the genus Physeter, or Blackfish, as it is called 
by the whalers. There is not a bone, nor even a fragment of a bone, 
nor any part that can be proved to have belonged to a specimen of 
this gigantic animal to be seen in any museum in Europe. This is 
the more remarkable as the animal grows to the length of more 
than 50 feet, is mentioned under the name of the Blackfish in almost 
all the Whaling Voyages ; and two specimens of it were examined 
by Sibbald, having occurred on the coast of Scotland. The only 
account which we have of the animal, on which zoologists can place 
any reliance, is that furnished by Sibbald in his little tractate on 
Scotch Whales. 
Otho Fabricius describes the Ardluk, under the name of Physeter 
microps, as being rather abundant in the seas of Greenland. He 
calls it ‘one of the smaller Whales ;”’ and it is very doubtful if he 
has not described the Killer (Delphinus orca) under this name— 
though he states the skin is black, and says nothing of the very dis- 
tinctive white marks on the under side of the Killer. 
IIL. Nostrils united into a single transverse or crescent-shaped blower. 
Head moderate, more or less beaked. Teeth in both jaws, one 
or both sets often deciduous. The pectoral fin lanceolate, ta- 
pering. ; 
Fam. 4. DELPHINID#. 
Head more or less beaked, smooth. Teeth simple, cylindrical, 
conical, smooth. Back rounded. Dorsal fin distinct, falcate, rarely 
wanting. 
A. Head more or less beaked ; beak of the skull as lony or longer 
than the brain-cavity. Bottlenoses. 
a. Pectoral fins moderate, lanceolate, far apart on the sides of the 
chest ; teeth in both the jaws permanent. Delphinina. 
1. STENo. 
Beak of the skull rather compressed, higher than broad. Sym- 
physis of the lower jaw rather elongate. Dorsal fin medial. 
Steno, Gray, Zool. E. & T. 43; Cat. Cet. 127. 
Steno rostratus. The Beaked Dolphin. 
Dauphin de Breda, Cuv. Oss. Foss. i. 278, 296.v. 400, t. 21. f.7,8. 
