914 Quadrupeds, fyc. 



termination of the tail. It is eight and a half inches high, somewhat 

 crescentic in shape, and slightly arching backwards. The breathing- 

 hole is nine inches and a half from the termination of the snout, and is 

 small. The pectoral fin is one foot in length, rises one foot three 

 inches from the snout, and is situated very low down. The tail is 

 transverse, two feet long, crescentic, and notched at the centre of its 

 posterior margin. The posterior part of the body is much compressed, 

 and extends nearly to the notch on the posterior margin of the tail. 

 In colour it bears but little resemblance to the splendid descriptions 

 of the ancients. It is of a deep black, black-grey and ash tints 

 fading to a white on the belly ; and it was not more brilliant when 

 first caught. About half an inch from the point of the snout is a 

 white line, which runs parallel to the gape to near the eye, which is 

 near and slightly above the angle of the mouth, there it rises and forms 

 a narrow white circle round it. The pectoral fins are black, with a 

 central white patch, which extends anteriorly to the lower jaw. The 

 posterior portion of the body is greyish, and mottled with black and 

 white patches. It is a male specimen. This species has been noticed 

 as occurring in Cornwall two or three times before, and Dr. Borlase, 

 in his Natural History, gives a figure of one, but it is much too stout 

 to be a portrait of the present specimen. But the figures of other 

 authors are far more characteristic, and hence there can be but little 

 difficulty in identifying the present species. There is, however, one 

 point in which a variation occurs from the printed descriptions. The 

 teeth are said, by Professor Bell and Mr. Jenyns, to vary from £|--J-f 

 to 34---J-7-, or from 168 to 188 ; but in the present case they are 4§'t^> 

 or 200. But it seems probable, that where the teeth are so numerous, 

 and liable to vary from 42 to 47 on each side the jaws, the increase of 

 the number to 50, as in the present case, need not be considered of 

 much importance. 



This species is said occasionally to visit the British shores, but 

 Mr. Chirgwin observes, and in this he is confirmed by the fishermen, 

 that they visit Mount's Bay in large shoals during the summer. I at 

 first supposed that the porpoise (D. Phocena) was the species meant, 

 by describing them to be so common, but Mr. Chirgwin says it is the 

 present species, and that the fishermen call it the "bottle-nose." 

 This we hope to be verified during the coming summer. There are 

 six species of Delphinus recorded as being caught in the kingdom, 

 four of which have been captured in the Cornish seas ; the present 

 species, D. Phocena, D. Orca, and D. melas, the two former of which 

 are now preserved in our Museum. 



