THE SAVAGE WORLD 
ii 
i 
; 
The Dolphin of the Pacific Ocean (.Lagenorhynchus obliquid'cns ) frequently 
appears in schools, and gambols around a vessel. It is greenish-black above, 
pure white below, and 
striped on the sides with 
alterante stripes of black 
and gray. 
The Mediterranean 
Dolphin (Coryphcena hip- 
purus) is bluish-green above, 
citron below, the pectoral 
fins lead and yellow, the 
ventra lfins black above 
and yellow below, the cau¬ 
dal fin yellow, and the iris 
golden; moreover, it has 
gold and azure reflections. 
Their iridescence when 
caught proceeds from their 
muscular action and is 
more beautiful than the 
most gorgeous sunset o r 
the most vivid rainbow, 
but like other beautiful 
fishes, the luster and iri¬ 
descent hues very soon 
fade when it is taken out 
of the water, especially if 
it be exposed to the sun. 
The dolphin was re¬ 
garded by the Greeks as 
sacred to the god Apollo, 
since when founding his oracle at Delphos, he appeared under the form of a 
dolphin. He is also represent as being borne upon the back of a dolphin and 
striking 
the harp- 
strings of 
his sweet 
instrument, 
making 
music to all 
creatures 
of the sea, 
that follow¬ 
ed him, like 
the rocks 
and trees 
school of narwhals. are fabled 
to have followed Orpheus, but, unlike Orpheus, Apollo had no beautiful love 
doomed to early death, else the dolphin might have figured even more prominently. 
EYED PTERACLIS. 
