Adult Immunity 247 



bling logs which composed her cargo as if they were 

 quite at home amid their strange surroundings ; but 

 I could not help thinking that many of them must 

 have got crushed to death down there. 



The aggregate numbers of Dolphin in the ocean 

 must be very great, but stiU quite insignificant, I 

 should say, compared with the incalculable hosts of 

 the better-known sea fishes, which frequent shallow 

 waters and are of such value as food. For, except 

 when they are quite immature, and, swimming together, 

 appear to invite the onslaught of their enemies, who 

 are of many kinds, they are never even seen in groups, 

 much less in shoals. All their hunting is done in- 

 dividually, and although one seldom sees one Dolphin 

 without others being near, they do not appear to 

 fraternise at aU. Perhaps in the presence of a common 

 danger, like the attack of an albacore or a sword-fish, 

 they might revive the memories of their youth and 

 draw together for mutual comfort, but I very much 

 doubt it. I believe instinct teaches them that the 

 more widely separated they are, the more opportunities 

 will be afforded them of making good their escape. 

 Indeed, I am at a loss to imagine how any fish could 

 possibly overtake the Dolphin to do him any harm 

 except by stratagem, his amazing speed enabling 

 him to distance easily any other enemy when un- 

 hampered by the company of many friends. I really 

 believe that when once the Dolphin attains his or her 

 full growth, which, owing to the systematic devouring 

 of the younger ones by their congeners and other deep- 

 sea fish, is only the case with about five per thousand 

 of those hatched, he or she is practically immune from 

 destruction by any enemy except man. And, as is 

 the case with so many other of the deep-sea folk, 

 owing to the steady displacement of sailing ships by 



