BLACK FISH. 289 



THE BLACK-FISH. GENUS GLOBICEPIIALUS. 

 Glohicephala, Lesson, N. Tabl. Rfegne Animal Mamm. p. 200 

 (1840). 



General form of skull somewhat as in OrcUy but the fore part 

 of the head high and rounded, owing to the pre ence of a mass 

 of blubber; teeth, small, conical, curved, and sharp, forming 

 from eight totwelve pairs, which are confined to the anterior 

 half of the jaws, in old age blunt, and sometimes wanting ; 

 flippers very long and narrow ; back-fin short and triangular 

 the height being much less than the basal length. 



As in the case of Orca, it is very doubtful whether there is 

 more than a single existing representative qf this genus. 



THE PILOT-WHALE, OR BLACK-FISH. GLOBICEPHALUS 

 MELAS. 



DelpMnus melas, Traill, Nicholson's Journal, vol. xxii. p. 81 



(1809). 

 Ddphinus globiceps, Cuvier, Ann. Mus. vol. xix. p. 14 



(1812). 

 Phocmna melas, Bell, British Quadrupeds, p. 483 (1837). 

 Glohicephala melas, Lesson, N. Tabl. Rbgne Animal Mamm. 



p. 200 (1840). 

 Globiocephalus swineval, Gray, Zool. Voy. Erebus and Terror, 



p. 32 (1846); Gray, Cat. Seals and Whales, Brit. Mus. p. 



314(1866). 

 Globicephalus melas, Bell, British Quadrupeds, 2nd ed. p. 453 



(1874); Southwell, British Seals and Whales, p. 118 



(i88i); Flower, List Cetacea Brit. Mus. p. 19 (1885). 

 Characters. — General colour black, with a whitish stripe along 

 the middle of the under-parts, expanding on tlie throat into a 

 heart-shaped patch. Length of adult from 1 6 to 20 feet. 



Distribution. — Typically occurring in the North Atlantic, it is 

 probable that the Pilot- Whale has a nearly world-wide dis- 



5 U 



