184 THE OCEAN. 
oena) by having the jaws lengthened out into a long 
and slender beak, almost like that of some bird: in 
other respects, there is little difference between the 
Porpesse and the Dolphin. Both are very voracious, 
pursuing any prey they can master: in the stomach 
‘of one taken in the Atlantic, I found a number of 
the beaks of Cuttles (Sepiade). A century or two 
ago, the flesh of this animal was esteemed a dainty 
worthy the attention of epicures in this country; 
but now it is relished only by those whom the salt 
provisions of a long voyage have rendered less choice 
than they would be under other circumstances. From 
the abundance of blood, the meat is very dark in 
appearance; but to my own taste, on one or two 
occasions, with my appetite sharpened by the pri- 
vation just mentioned, steaks cut from it and fried 
have seemed very savoury and agreeable. 
Now the long yellow strings of floating weed, 
which lie in parallel lines pointing to the wind, or 
the broader masses that resemble meadows parched 
by protracted drought, inform us that we are in that 
mighty current of tepid water, the Gulf-stream. We 
hasten to the gangway, and having drawn a few 
buckets of clear transparent water, which we deposit 
in a tub, collect with a boat-hook, a quantity of the 
floating weed, and immerse it in the tub of water 
to be examined. Many of the stems and berry- 
like air-vessels are coated with a thin and delicate 
tissue of shelly substance (Flustra), of a greyish 
hue, like very minute network, so delicate as not 
at all to disfigure or conceal the form of the sub- 
stance on which it is spread. Attached to the weed 
