490 On the Great Rorqual of the Indian Ocean. [No. 5. 



Of ordinary Delphinidce, one of the most common species in the 

 Bay of Bengal is that generally known as the ' Black-fish' to sea- 

 men, and named by me Globicepiialus ihdicus in J. A. S. XX I, 

 358. This was first noticed in XIX, 426 ; a large herd or ' school' 

 (i. e. shoal) of these animals having been carried into the salt-water 

 lake E. of Calcutta during the mouth of July, 1852. It is remark- 

 able that two specimens which 1 have since obtained were procured 

 during the same season of the year, viz. one taken in the Hugli 

 near Serampore, 6| ft. long (in 1858), and a newly born young dur- 

 ing the present year (1859), which was brought to the Calcutta fish- 

 bazar. The species is w T ell distinguished from Gl. deductor of the 

 Atlantic, of which we have a fine skull of an old animal for comparison. 

 The inter-maxillaries of the Indian species are shorter and one-fourth 

 broader, and the teeth are considerably stouter. Colour of the ani- 

 mal uniform leaden-black, slightly paler underneath. Length of an 

 adult male 14 ft. 2 in. ; the flippers 2 ft., and 6 in. in greatest 

 breadth. Length of dorsal fin 1\ ft., and height 11 in. Breadth 

 of tail-flukes 3 ft.; and from vent to cleft of tail 4 ft. 10 in. Adult 

 female rather smaller. The skeleton of a female set up in our 

 museum has a series of 49 vertebrae, additional to the uuited 

 cervical. There are 11 dorsal or costal, 12 lumbar without the 

 articulated ' V-bones,' 16 with the latter, and 10 small caudal 

 within the tail-flukes. We possess skeletons of the adult male and 

 female, the latter set up ; the 6^ ft. example mounted as a stuffed 

 specimen ; and the new-born young as a skeleton. There is also 

 a skull of this species in the museum of the Calcutta Medical Col- 

 lege.* 



fectly sleek and black, covered with an uliginous matter, the texture and length 

 resembling the clothing of the Seal tribe." 



* I had much trouble in securing our two skeletons of this fine Cetal. The 

 animals were floundering about in all directions in the shallow water, and groan- 

 ing painfully, vide J. A. S. XIX, 426. From what I afterwards learned, there 

 must originally have been several dozens of them, which the natives towed off 

 into the river as they died, having no notion of extracting oil from their car- 

 cases. The weather was terrifically hot ; but I succeeded the first day in secur- 

 ing two pairs of the largest, male and female, and had them safely tied up to- 

 wards evening for operations on the day following. They were all cut adrift during 



