THE DOLPHINS. 99 



as they principally prey upon the smaller finny tribes ; and to obtain them shoot 

 swiftly through the water, seizing the object of pursuit with the slightest effort. 

 Occasionally a large number of them will get into a school of fish, frightening them 

 so much that they will dart around in all directions, taking no regular course to 

 escape their pursuers, and finally get so bewildered as to lose nearly all control 

 over their movements. At such times the Striped Porpoise is manifestly the "sea 

 swine," filling itself to repletion. 



In perfectly calm weather they are sometimes seen huddled together on the 

 glaring surface, their heads slightly raised, or reclining a little on their sides, as if 

 resting from their constant activity ; but such instances are not frequent. Gener- 

 ally they are seen in great numbers rushing over and through the undulating sea, 

 exhibiting their active habits and propensity to roam over an unlimited extent of 

 ocean. 



SECTION ^a.-B.UKD'S DOLPHIN. 



Delphinus Baikdh, Dall. (Plate xis, fig 1.) 



This Dolphin inhabits the Pacific North ximerican coast, in common with other 

 varieties which abound in those waters. At a distance it much resembles the Com- 

 mon Porpoise of fishermen and sailors ; but it difters in several points from that 

 species. We were so fortunate as to obtain two female specimens off Point Argu- 

 ello, in the fall of 1872, from wliich we obtained the following notes. Apparently, 

 both individuals were adults, and nearly the same size and weight. The body of 

 the Delpliinus Bavrdii is more slender, and its snout more elongated and rounded, 

 than that of the Striped or Common Porpoise, and may be compared to the bill of a 

 snipe. Its teeth are slender, conical, and slightly curved inward. Its dorsal fin is 

 more erect and less falcated than that of the Lagenorhjnclius oUiquidens, while the 

 pectorals are nearly of the same shape and comparative proportions ; but the caudal 

 fin is less in breadth, and greater in proportionate expansion. Its back, immediately 

 forward of the dorsal fin, is somewhat concave, so that when taking a side view 

 the upper contour appears lower before than behind the fin. Its varied colors 

 are, top and sides of head, black ; sides of body behind the vent, and both sides 

 of pectorals and flukes, a greenish black ; a black patch around the eye, with a 

 white streak passing forward above the mouth ; a continuous black streak from the 

 side of the under jaw to the anterior edge of the pectorals ; sides, behind the eye, 

 gray — the upper boundary of this color being somewhat above the plane of that 

 organ, beginning to curve downward just behind the dorsal fin, and meeting both 



