382 PROF. FLOWER ON THE COMMON DOLPHIN. [Apr. 1, 



lateral line is visible, but very indistinct ; it runs in the median 

 furrow of the body. 



The coloration (in the single preserved specimen) is a uniform 

 yellowish grey, without trace of spots or bands. The belly is silky 

 grey, the inside of the mouth black. 



Measurements : — millira. 



Total length (to the tip of the caudal) 184 



Length from the snout to the origin of the dorsal 43 



Length from the snout to the vent 73 



Length from the vent to the tip of the caudal Ill 



Length of the head 40 



Height of the body 20 



Length of the intermaxillary 15 



Length of the snout 11 



Length of the eye 10 



Length of the postorbital part of the head 19 



Length of the pectorals 20 



Through the kindness of Prof. Peters I have been enabled to de- 

 scribe a specimen of this species, 7\ inches long, which is preserved 

 in the Zoological Museum of Berlin. It was purchased through Mr. 

 Salvin, and was said to have been received from Japan. The absence 

 of vomerine and palatine teeth, a character quite peculiar to the 

 species, will perhaps necessitate its removal to a separate genus, for 

 which I propose the name Lycodopsis. 

 Christiania, March 20, 1879. 



5. On the Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis, Linn. By 

 William Henry Flower, F.E.S., P.Z.S. 



It is somewhat remarkable that no really adequate figure of so 

 well known an animal as the Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis, L., 

 is to be found in any zoological publication. The best with which 

 I am acquainted is one given by Reinhardt (" Notits om en paa ost- 

 kysten of Jylland fanget Delphinus delphis," in Naturh. Forenings 

 Vidensk. Meddelelser, Nr. 10 & 11, 1866), from an animal 5 feet 4 

 inches long taken near Grenaa, on the Jutland shore of the Cattegat, 

 in November 1865. This figure, however, is not coloured, and wants 

 the details of the markings seen in the specimen to be described 

 presently. Perhaps the next best figure, and, indeed, in some respects 

 superior, is that given in the illustrated edition of Cuvier's ' Animal 

 Kingdom, 5 which is stated to be " d'apres une peinture originale de 

 Mare'chal faisant partie des velins du Museum." The figures in the 

 volume on Cetacea in the ' Naturalist's Library ' by Dr. Hamilton and 

 in Bell's ' British Quadrupeds' are apparently founded on this, though 

 in the latter the tail is differently formed, the gradations of colour 

 are badly given in the engraving, and the whole creature has too 



