72 



Genus Delphihts.' 



Head and forehead convex, longly-beaked ; pectoral fin elongate, 

 falcate, obtusely pointed ; first, fourth, and fifth fingers short ; second 

 much the longest, with eight or nine joints ; third about a fourth shorter 

 than the second ; beak of the skull elongate, commonly f of the entire 

 length of the skull, depressed, broader than high ; symphysis of man- 

 dible from moderate to short, usually between i and i length of the 

 ramus ; teeth conical, small, slender, set closely together. 



(a) Palate behind deep channelled on each side. 

 * Teeth about five in an inch. 



Delphotus LOjraiEOSTEis, Dussumier. The Malabar Dolphin. 



Delphmus longirostris, Dussum, Cuvier, Gray. S. and "W. p. 241. 

 Suppl. p. 68. 



Teeth ?g or 1^, about five in an inch. 



Colour, black ; length, nearly seven feet. 



Inhab. Cape of Good Hope, Japan, Ceylon, and Malabar. Gray, 

 B.M.C., p. 241. Suppl. p. 68. 



DELPHnfus DELPHis, Linnffius. The Common Dolphin. 



Synonyms — Delphinus delpMs, Linn., Hunter, Desmarest, Jardine, 

 Cuvier, Gray, Bell, ISTilsson, &c. 



Teeth jj^j to jaijs, about five in an inch. 



Colour : black above, sides grey, and beneath white ; length from 7 to 

 10 feet. 



Inhab. the Northern and probably the Southern Seas. 



This animal is gregarious in its habits, being very rarely seen alone, 

 and is observed to be a constant attendant at such places where 

 mackerel, pilchards, and other fish abound. It is swift and voracious, 

 and so eager in the pursuit of its prey that it is frequently found en- 

 tangled in the fishermen's nets.^ The beak, which is characteristic of 

 the group, is flattened and elongated, and from this peculiar form, it is 

 called by the Erench, " Goose-bill and sea-goose." The English 

 sailors, however, know this and similar animals by the name of " bottle- 

 noses" or " flounder-heads," and not by that o^ BolpMn? 



Considerable doubt is entertained among naturalists, whether the 

 Delphinus delphis of the European coast, and certain dolphins inhabit- 

 ing the Southern Seas, are to be regarded as the same species. Possibly 



* Delphinus, SeX^is, a dolphin. 



' " In the montli of September, 1845, eight or ten in a day ■were brought on shore 

 in Mount's Bay, for many days in succession." Couch, Cornish Whales. 



^ The dolphin of sailors is a ti-ue fish, the Coryphsena hippuris, about five feet long, 

 and celebrated for the eternal war it wages against flying-fish, and for the surprising 

 changes of colour, when expiring. 



