 section 21 of the book of whales this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Mike Botez the book of whales by Frank Evers Bedard chapter 10 part 2 the genus Nomadis is to be characterized by the absence of a dorsal fin and the number of teeth 18 to 26 the skull characters are as in Fosena vertebrae D13 L12 C29 equals 63 this genus has been already referred to on account of the rows of tubercles which stud the back in the place of the absent dorsal fin it is a genus which is barely to be distinguished from Fosena according to most authorities of the cervical vertebrae the last five are free seven ribs are two-headed the sternum is short and broad and has four pairs of ribs attached to it there is but one species Nomadis Fosenides couvir it is unnecessary to give a definition of this species as the principal characters have been already given in the description of the genus its color is entirely black safe for the purplish red patch on the upper lip and one on the throat this purpose is about four feet long and inhabits the seas of India Cape of good hope and Japan Mr. True thinks that a species noted merely from a native drawing and described as Delfinapterus Molagan by Sir Richard Owen is the same Molagan is of course a native name for the purpose Nomadis curaciensis Murray is but a synonym Mr. Murray the describer of this last remarks that it has 18 teeth on each side of each jaw besides two or three which were scarcely visible through the gums and situated out of the line of the other teeth in front of the jaws in shape this teeth are quite unlike the rest being conical instead of flattened or compressed may this possibly be compared to the rudimentary teeth of Zephydes in the stomach of this whale prawns of the genus Penaeus were found the genus Delfinus has the teeth small and numerous 47 to 65 in number vertebrae C7 D14 15 L21 22 CA 30 32 equals 73 or 76 atlas and axes fused the rest free palatal border of maxillaries deeply grooved phalanges one two or three two eight or nine three five to seven four two to four five one or two fins falcate beak distinct and long this genus which embraces not more than three ascertained species may be turned the true dolphins they have a long beak and are to be distinguished from all other Delfini day by the deep grooves on the palatal surfaces of the maxillaries producing thus a separation between the alveolar border and a raised median ridge though there are not more than three ascertained species according to Mr. true the immense number of names have been given the common dolphin Delfinus Delfis appears to be identical with animals that have received the following names the major the full of fasciatus the forsteri the janira the pomegran the birdie the mori the walkie the nove zelandia the albumanos the marginatus the fuscus the suburbianus the vaillegatus the balteatus the Algerianis the muscatus this lengthy list is the result of giving a new name to a dolphin captured or observed in a fresh locality we have simply to do with a citation of exceedingly wide range or as Lassipad who delighted more in symmetrical sentences than in a plain record of cold fact observed it is met with in the favorable climbs of the temperate zones under the burning firmament of the equatorial seas and in the horrible valleys which separate the enormous mountains of ice which time builds upon the surface of the polar ocean as so many funeral monuments to nature who is there expiring Delfinus Delfis linois length 7 feet 5 inches form slender forehead sloping gradually dorsal fin narrow teeth 46 to 50 figure 32 this is the dolphin par excellence the dolphin of the ancients it is common among other places in the Mediterranean hence its frequent observation but it is perhaps hardly necessary to mention the fact it has been often confounded with the fish quarifena hence the legends as to its dying colors and to many of its more purely fish-like attributes on the other hand regarding it as a fish the ancients were impressed by its unfish-like intelligence upon this confusion were doubtless based the legend of Arian and Delfin and other similar stories Scaliger speaks of it as nobilisimus setasiorum as a matter of fact the colors of this animal are unusually variegated for a cetacean and liable to much variation hence the multitude of species the best figure illustrating this hues is contained in a memoir by Sir William Flower the usual black of the dorsal and white of the ventral surface is supplemented by two lateral areas of a falvus or grayish tinge a black or greenish band extends from the lower jaw to the base of the pectoral fin there is a ring of black around the eye one or two bands of grayish or greenish traverse the light color of the lower part of the sides the sharply marked off beak of the dolphin which it shares of course with many other Delfinidae has given rise to such vernacular names as bec-dua and the form of the head often repeated in ancient boats shows that perhaps a hint as to the proper form of a boat was derived from this swift creature the ancients appear to have confused to some extent dolphins and sharks for they speak of the mouth of the former being ventral and position and say that the animal is obliged to turn up on its back before it can swallow its prey Pliny who always mixed up the fact and fiction in one inextricable tangle added to this imaginary portrait the further detail that the dolphin was armed with a long and spiny fin with which it could successfully attack other creatures possibly a confusion with a long and narrow dorsal fin of orca its movements are rapid it has been called the arrow of the sea and the proverb has emphasized this of those who desire something impossible it is said that they wish to catch a dolphin by the tail the curved form in which the conventional dolphin of heraldry is exhibited is an indication of the frequency with which the cetacean will leap out of the water under these circumstances the body is naturally arched on coins medals and coats of arms of Mediterranean countries and cities the dolphin takes the place that the Biscayan whale does along the northern shores of Spain a dolphin forms the arms of the eldest son of the King of France who was styled in consequence dofan this seems to be a curious reversal of the counting crest the dofan took the style from the arms of Dauphiné in other cases e.g. Lucy's equals pike the Lucy's the arms were from the name of the individual so many tales dating from antiquity have been told concerning the intelligence and usefulness to a man of the dolphin that the following modern one may be not without interest in Morton Bay relates Mr. Fairholm the natives used to aid the men in the capture of Mallet a kind of a porpoise when a shoal of fish come into the bay the natives with their spears make a peculiar splashing in the water whether the porpoises really understand this as a signal or think it is a fish it is difficult to determine but the result is always the same they at once come in two words driving the Mallet before them the relator of this incident things that whales really understand and assist the dolphin when born is one of those species which have a few hairs 5 to 7 have been counted on each side forming the moustache Delfinus longi rostris cuvia may be a distinct form it is thus defined teeth 58 to 65 rostrum very elongated about 67.9% of whole length of the skull this species is only to be defined by the above characters and its external characters are unknown it is therefore not very satisfactory but is retained in deference to Mr. True's researches Mr. True identical with Grace Delfinus capensis it comes from Malabar the third and last species Delfinus rosey ventris Wagner is in length barely four feet form stout forehead abruptly sloping beak long dorsal fin broad teeth 48 the genus prodelfinus is carefully to be distinguished from Delfinus it has a distinct beak dorsal and pectoral fins falcate vertebrae c7 d14 or 15 l 22 19 or 21 ca 29 to 38 equals 69 to 81 pterigoids in contact phalanges one two two nine three seven four three five one of this genus Mr. True remarks the chief character which has been brought forward as separating it from Delfinus is a negative one the absence of deep lateral palatine grooves it also comes near to Turcio the main feature here which is distinguished the two genre are the fewer teeth and more numerous vertebrae the three genre are quite close together some 23 species have been assigned to this genus but these may be reduced according to Mr. True to hate it is pretty well universally distributed there seems to be nothing of interest to record in the habits of these dolphins prodelfinus plagiodon cope is seven feet in length dorsal fin falcate color spotted teeth 37 vertebrae 69 of which 14 dorsal this dolphin comes from the Atlantic coasts of North America and from the Gulf of Mexico prodelfinus malianus lesson length about seven feet color uniform ashi teeth 39 there is too little either to identify with a genus prodelfinus or to differentiate it as a species the skull was not described by the original describer of the species but by Schlegel that it is with great hesitation that it is here included it is an East Indian species prodelfinus attenwatus gray color dark above ash gray below teeth 35 to 44 vertebrae 81 of which 15 dorsal the very large number of vertebrae distinguish this species so far as is known it appears to be identical with the following three species delfinus pseudodelfis wigman stenocapensis gray clemeni punctata id it is widely distributed cape horn cape of good hope bay of Bengal North Atlantic prodelfinus keruleo albus mayan has the dorsal fins not deeply marginate 14 dorsal vertebrae teeth 50 habited South America this dolphin has the lateral strip which is found in many of the species of prodelfinus prodelfinus euphrocin gray with probable synonyms the sticks gray the tethios gervey the marginatus duvernoy turcio dorsides gray clemeni dorides gray clemenia euphrocinoidus id has a length of about eight feet dorsal fin high and falcate pectoral fins small vertebrae 76 15 dorsals teeth 45 like the preceding species this has a long narrow black stripe preceding from the eye to the vent with a branch given off to the pectoral fin and another behind it habitat europe to south africa prodelfinus lateralis peel this species of which the name was altered to lageno rincus in the second edition of the mammalia of the us exploring expedition may be thus defined from the imperfect existing knowledge of it length seven feet six inches form stout snout small teeth 41 habitat pacific latitude 13 degrees longitude 161 degrees it seems to be mainly the lateral black line which justifies the inclusion of these species in the present genus for its cranial characters are not known of prodelfinus frenatus eff cuviae not a great deal is to be said it is in length up to six feet teeth 38 vertebrae 70 14 dorsals atlantic and indian oceans the following reputed species seem to be in all probability synonyms de frontalis de sumiae de doris gray de clemenae gray clemenia normalis gray de alope gray de microbes gray de stenorencus gray are probably not allied species but merely synonyms the only two of the names given in the list of synonyms which applies to anything more than a skull is de frontalis and de frenatus which has the characteristic dark band from the angle of mouth to pectoral limb prodelfinus longi rostris gray length nearly seven feet vertebrae 73 14 dorsals teeth 52 palette with traces of lateral groove cf delphinus rostrum very long japan malabar cape coast of brazil cape horn galapagos and australia genus lagenorencus this genus may be defined in the following terms head with short not very distinct beak dorsal and pectoral fins falcate teeth small 22 to 45 in number on each jaw vertebrae 73 to 92 pterygoid bones in contact or separate rostrum not exceeding or scarcely exceeding length of cranium this genus is another to which quite a large number of species have been referred but a number of them are barely definable and it is a difficult at present perhaps impossible task to discriminate them with accuracy i give some description here of nearly all the species that are allowed by true a number be it observed in excess of the probable species of sir william flowers enumeration in addition to the features of the genus mentioned in its definition lagenorencus is characterized by the length of the neural and transverse processes of the lambar vertebrae mr true also comments up on the presence of an area of bright color rather high up on the side between the dorsal fin and the flukes as a mark of lagenorencus it is according to the last mentioned observer nearest to prodelfinus clemenia the first species of the genus lagenorencus obscurus gray has the external form as in acutus but beak not distinctly marked off teeth 32 32 pterygoids in contact length 5 feet 6 inches this species is chiefly to be distinguished by the absence of a distinct marked off beak this gives to the dolphin an appearance not at all like that of other species of the genus and it has indeed been referred to prodelfinus but as already mentioned these two genre are not very far apart it is a southern form lagenorencus thickolia also named by gray is known from a single skull only its chief feature is a large number of teeth 45 and it is on these grounds that it has been admitted to specific rank in lagenorencus supersiliosus schlegel the teeth are 30 vertebrae c7 d13 l20 ca 33 equals 73 pterygoids in contact this species from the cape of good hope is only known by a skeleton lagenorencus fitzroyi waterhouse equals d cruciger coy and gay marred l clanculus gray has a length of five to six feet beak short dorsal fin large teeth 28 pterygoids in contact whether the above synonyms relate to one and the same species is far from a certainty dr gray indeed adds obscuros and supersiliosus to the list but in any case all the forms mentioned in the list are from the shores of patagonia and from the southern ocean they are also much patched with white and have according to illustrations much the same external appearance as mentioned before the discrimination of the different species of dolphins is a task beyond the capacities of those who have not the entire museums of the world at their command the next species lagenorencus electra of gray has only 23 teeth in each jaw skull massive rostrum broad long and flat massive moid much ossified and visible superiorly the four following names are probably to be regarded as synonyms l asia gray electra obtusa id dolphinus fusiformis owen fosena pectoralis peel of pe pectoralis only is the external form known these species appear to differ from all other members of the genus by the amount of ossification in the mesothmoid and by its appearance on the dorsal surface of the skull the species is from the indian ocean and the tropical pacific the two next species are british and can be easily separated lagenorencus albirostris gray has a length of nine feet teeth 26 vertebrae c7 d15 or 16 l23 or 24 ca 43 or 45 equals 88 or 92 five ribs rich sternum six or seven two-headed pterygoids in contact this species occurs on our own coasts and is so far as is known purely a northern species it appears that the winter is passed in the more temperate regions of the north and the summer in the arctic regions the dolphin goes about in large bands and is a fish eater in the main lagenorencus acutus gray dolphinus excricti schlegel di leucopleurus rash length eight feet dorsal fin high beak small teeth 35 to 37 vertebrae c7 d14 and 15 l18 to 22 ca 38 to 41 equals 78 to 82 pterygoids in contact this also is a northern species it occurs in vast herds of as many as 1500 individuals on the coast of norway it is then in pursuit of the herrings a skeleton in the british museum has the four last cervicals free six of the ribs are two-headed but as few as five and as many as seven maybe so lagenorencus obliquidens gill may be distinguished in the following terms length seven feet some inches color greenish black above with lateral broad longitudinal stripes of white gray and dull black white below teeth 31 vertebrae c7 d13 l24 ca 30 equals 74 pterygoids not in contact divergent posteriorly this is a north pacific species of exceeding activity it congregates in herds of many hundreds tumbling over the surface of the sea or making arching leaps plunging again on the same curve or darting high and falling diagonally sideways up on the water with a spiteful splash accompanied by a report that may be heard at some distance when a brisk breeze is blowing they frequently play about the bow of a ship going at her utmost speed darting across the cut water and shooting ahead or circling around the vessel apparently sporting at ease these purposes feed upon small fish and says scammon act up to their character of the sea swine filling themselves to repletion as with other dolphins these animals will collect in calm weather in immense herds huddled together on the surface of the water finally dr. Moreno has described lagenolincus flowery from the bay of santa cruise it is one meter and 29 long with nearly the whole of the middle part of the body white the rest is black the teeth are 20 end of section 21 recording by mike botez section 22 of the book of wales this is a LibriVox recording all LibriVox recordings are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit LibriVox.org recording by Mike Botez the book of wales by Frank Evers Bedard chapter 10 part 3 the genus sotalia has teeth tolerably large 26 to 35 in number in each jaw vertebrae c7 d11 12 l 10 to 14 c22 equals 51 to 55 in all the pterygoids are separate there are three elements in the sternum and there are five to seven pairs of sternal ribs the number of phalanges in the digits is as follows one zero two six three five four two five one beak distinct the manus is long falcate or oval the dorsal fin is falcate of this genus there are some five or six species the exact number cannot be fixed at present they are not large dolphins eight or nine feet may be regarded as the greatest length attained to the remarkable fact about the dolphins of this genus is their usually pale coloration thus s sinensis is milky white with pinkish fins the upper part of the body in s palida is yellowish white the under surface white s plumbaya is a uniform plamias gray a good many of the species moreover are found in rivers and estuaries in the amazons and other streams of south america are two recognized species and three more doubtful ones s sinensis lives in several rivers of china on the other hand there are others which are as purely marine inhabit the most remarkable species of the genus is the supposed vegetarian sotelia to z from kamerun river west africa sotelia sinensis is in color milky white with pinkish fins teeth 32 vertebrae d 12 l 10 ca 22 equals 51 this species from the harbor of amoy and the canton river was originally mentioned by osbeck a pupil of linos who traveled to china in a merchant vessel in 1751 its osteology has been fully described by sir william flower in the memoir cited below as neither osbeck the discoverer nor fkuve nor demare at all described the species its specific name should be attributed to flower osbeck indeed not understanding as kuvie observed the principles of his master and attaching himself exclusively as did many others to increasing the catalog which linos had published simply define this dolphin like the common dolphin but entirely of a bright white it is not therefore surprising that fkuve included this form among the dolphins don l'existence comme espèce et douteuse sotelia plumbaya of kuvie has a color of uniform planos gray white on lower jaw teeth 37 to 39 this species is one of the marine forms coming from the malabar coast its external characters have been described by m dusumie who observes that the young have much more white about them than the adults a reversal of the condition of color which characterize for example the beluga this species is said to be slower in its movements than many dolphins it reaches eight feet in length sotelia gedamu awin is in color dark plumbias gray below pinkish ashy gray with a few darker blotches teeth 26 rostrum not so long as in last two species this species known only from a sketch of its shape and color and from the skull is named by the fisherman of visagapatam gedamu once its specific name also described by awin is sotelia lentiginosa of a bluish scenarios color freckled with dark brown fins smaller than in s gedamu teeth 33 to 34 this species from the same locality as the last is regarded by flower as doubtfully distinct true however affirms the correctness of sir r owin in giving it a separate name and we shall follow him dr blamford would refer this and the last species under the name of s perniger to the genus stannell figure 34 in addition to the species of sotelia enumerated there are a number of forms existing in the rivers of south america to which at any rate five names have been given but what differences separate s guianesis of van benedin s braziliances of the same s palida of gerve s tukaxi of gray from each other and from s fluviatiles of gerve is a matter which is not ripe for decision barely indeed for discussion mister true thinks that the two marine forms s guianesis and s braziliances are distinct from the remaining which are fluviatile we shall accept what seems to be in itself a reasonable view sotelia guianesis of van benedin equals sotelia braziliances id is in color black or brown white below teeth 29 34 vertebrae 54 or 55 of which 11 or 12 dorsal the example of sotelia braziliances studied by van benedin was a smaller individual than that of s guianesis itself a fact tending to throw doubt upon the distinctness of the two forms considering the minute points of difference which distinguish them however professor van benedin's colored figure of s braziliances shows an animal which is largely of a pale brown color but this is by no means without the boundaries of color variation so little known as must be constantly insisted upon among the whales gildy who has lately reinvestigated the species braziliances thinks that there may be two or three rudimentary ribs behind 11 well-developed ones the sternum of the species is formed of three pieces which coalesce later five ribs articulate with the sternum this species is so common in the bay of ria de genero that it is impossible to cross the bay without seeing a few sporting in the immediate neighborhood of the ship the old world superstitions regarding the dolphin have been in some curious fashion transferred to this new world form the natives think that it will bring to shore the bodies of drowned persons the fact that it is regarded as a sacred animal is rather bad for science as specimens are hard to obtain sotelia palida jervey probably the same as stannell to coxie gray and sotelia fluvia tilis van benedin and jervey has a black color above and is white or pinkish below the teeth are 30 in each jaw as already mentioned materials do not exist for saying whether there is but one or whether there are two or three species comprised in the forms here provisionally grouped under one name it may be that s palida is simply pale colored variety or there may be as in inia qv a sexual difference of coloration sotelia 2z kukenthal is certainly distinct it is eight or nine feet in length the nostrils projecting beyond face as a tubular process this dolphin comes from the kameroon river and is another example of a purely freshwater species it is an exceedingly scarce whale only one specimen haven't been seen in as many as 10 years the prolongation of the nostrils is a most remarkable feature and is amply sufficient to distinguish the species from any other its habits are almost unique by reason of the fact that is a vegetable feeder in the stomachs of some other whales vegetable debris has been found but in the present species nothing else was found in accordance with this presumed habit the teeth are not sharply pointed as in s sinensis the animal is rather under jawed and the skin is described as being especially thick of the osteology only the skull is known the genus stano has 20 to 27 teeth which are large with furrowed surfaces to their crowns vertebrae c7 d12 or 13 l15 ca 32 or 30 equals 65 or 66 first two vertebrae fused rest separate pterygoids in contact the formula of the phalanges is one four two eight three six four three five three dorsal and pectoral fins falcate big distinct of this genus there are two species s perspicillatus and s rostratus the former lives in the south atlantic the latter is more widely spread the genus is to be distinguished from sotelia by the rugos crowns of the teeth which are smooth in sotelia and by the closely approximated pterygoids steno rostratus of demarae is in color purplish suity black above sides with yellowish white spots under surface white tinged with rose teeth 20 to 27 the ribs are 13 vertebrae 65 this species if all the synonyms delphinus frontatus cuviae the bredanensis cuviae the planiceps schlegel steno compressus gray the renvarti schlegel the pernetti demarae rightly apply to one species ranges from the atlantic to the indian ocean it is a largest dolphins measuring eight or nine feet the remaining species steno perspicillatus peters maybe thus defined color black above white below sides yellowish white a black line from ring round eye joins its fellow on opposite side round forehead teeth 23 ribs 12 vertebrae 66 this dolphin is rather smaller than the last about 7 foot 6 inches and is confined to south atlantic the genus tertiops has the teeth large 22 to 26 in number vertebral formula c 7 d 12 or 13 l 16 or 17 ca 26 or 27 equals 61 or 64 5 or 6 ribs 2 headed teregoids in contact phalanges 1 1 2 6 or 7 3 6 or 8 4 3 5 1 or 2 fins falcate beak distinct of this genus again the exact number of species is at present a matter of opinion rather than of certainty sir w flower is doubtful whether there are more than two 2 mr true allows and defines 5 the genus is universal in range 10 feet is about the limit of size reached it seems difficult to give anything like satisfactory definitions of more than the type species 3 s tea catalania which is allowed by both sir w flower and mr true is mainly to be distinguished by color it is said to be a very light lead color above and on the sides gradually passing into the dirty laden wide of the lower parts which were covered as also the flippers with longitudinally elongated blotches of dark lead color it has 25 teeth in each jaw instead of 23 but are these points to be relied upon as distinguishing it true things that it may be the same as rupals tea abu Salem this whale has the upper surface sea green of a dark hue instead of lead color it has 26 teeth and fewer vertebrae the formula being c 7 d 12 l 16 ca 26 equals 61 it is from the red sea while tea catalania is australian as to the difference in the vertebral formula mr true has pointed out that a specimen of tea torsio in the british museum has but 12 ribs and another but 61 vertebrae altogether its differences from tea torsio are at most but slight torsio ps torsio fibraceous plate 17 has the upper surface lead color under surface white teeth 23 vertebrae c 7 d 12 or 13 l 17 ca 27 equals 64 this the only satisfactory type of the genus is apparently of universal range specimens having been recorded from our own coasts rarely however north america new zealand se shells the size of this species is some 10 feet but it has been recorded as region 12 van beneden mentions that of specimens captured at arkashon the color was an intense black save for a white streak on the ventural surface which was grayer in the mail the fetus possesses four to seven hairs on each side the amount to which the cervical vertebrae are fused varies the two first appear to be always united of the following ones more or fewer are also fused sir w flower has figured its external characters mr true observes of this whale that its eyelids are as mobile as in the terrestrial mammalia the name torsio is derived from pliny but there is no sure ground for identification the ingenious belon would derive marswan a corruption of mesh pine from torsio but as frederick cuvier justly remarks we may agree that it would be difficult to place faith in specific analogies founded upon such a system delfinus truncatus montague d metis gray d simodesi id d eurinome id are apparently synonyms torsio ps catalania gray is in size small six feet and nine inches the color is as in t torsio but the sides are covered with blotches of darker color beak relatively longer than in t torsio this species as already said is admitted by both sir william flower and by mr true it is a native of the northeast coast of australia the skull only as far as the skeleton is concerned is known but the collector mr john mcgillivray sent home to dr gray careful measurements and a description of the color of the two specimens which he obtained at localities not far apart torsio ps abu selam ruple is dark green above under surface white with dark spots teeth 26 vertebrae d 12 l 16 c 26 equals 61 beak longer than in t torsio this dolphin from the red sea does not differ widely from torsio ps catalania and may very possibly be identical with it yet the green color seems to be characteristic and as dolphins go unusual the number of vertebrae and ribs as a character must be handled with caution for mr true records an undoubted t torsio with but 12 ribs and 61 vertebrae torsio ps gilly the cowfish of scaman of which he gives approximate outlines is black all over only a little paler below though true admits it is a species it would perhaps be well to wait for further materials before allowing it a place in the system certain small marks in the skull lead mr true to give it a separate place in the list of existing species of cetacea torsio ps parvimanus of ryanheart is said to differ chiefly by more numerous phalanges of the third digit seeing that there is so great a variety in the number of ossifications in the hand it is not a satisfactory way of defining a species to use this character the species moreover was founded on a single young individual from the atlantic another unsatisfactory point if we were to regard it as distinct ludkin is inclined to suggest an identity with t katalania the genus cephalo rancus is distinguished by the following assemblage of characters teeth 25 to 31 small sharp terigoids widely apart pre maxillae ridged in front of nasal apertures vertebrae 63 to 67 dorsal fin triangular or ovate this is a genus of Antarctic dolphins limited so far as is known to the seas about the cape new zealand and chili their external appearance is suggestive of that of the porpoises and the form of the terigoids is much like what is found in the genus fosena as also the elevations upon the pre maxillae they have not a beak well marked off from the rest of the head but this fact of structure has not been incorporated into the generic diagnosis since in the sea hectory there is a hint of one which is distinctly marked off from the forehead the small size and nonfalkate form of the pectoral limb might perhaps be added as a generic character but in sea albifrons these limbs are though small and elongated as in the other species slightly falcate cephalo rancus heavy cd gray plate 18 the first described species of the genus has the pectoral fin elliptical and the dorsal fin triangular teeth 25 to 30 vertebral formula c7 d13 l15 ca 30 equals 65 terigoids short and widely separated length about 48 inches the color of this dolphin appears to be black with a good deal of white or pale yellow on the ventral surface but there is evidently some variation as f couvié marsois du cap is stated to be entirely black save for a white spot on each side sir w flower and mr true unite these two forms and the former suggests that couviers species may be a melonic variety of the more typical form the first six pairs of ribs are two-headed and five reach the sternum cephalo rancus albifrons true is a change name for electro clancola hectare and has the pectoral fin falcate and the dorsal fin low and ovate teeth 31 terigoids long and constricted at base length rather over four feet this species instead of being black is gray over the greater part of the body the fins are darker than the trunk the next species cephalo rancus hectare van benedin has an obtusely pointed pectoral fin the dorsal fin is low and ovate the beak is slightly marked teeth 30 vertebrae d14 l15 c 27 equals 63 this new zealand species is very near to both the last but the throat and lower jaw are white it has not the white forehead of c albifrons the fourth and last species of the genus cephalo rancus eutropia gray equals eutropia decay id has 30 teeth in each half of each jaw skull larger than in c heavy c d with longer and more closely approximated terigoids this species is only known from a skull from the coast of chili sir william flower as well as mr true pronounced this form to be quite distinct end of section 22 recording by mike boat as section 23 of the book of wales this is a libre vox recording all libre vox recording are in the public domain for more information or to volunteer please visit libre vox.org recording by mike boat as the book of wales by frank evers beddard chapter 10 part 4 the genus globiscephalus has 7 to 12 teeth on each side confined to anterior region vertebrae c 7 d 11 l 11 to 14 c 27 to 29 equals 58 or 59 six of the ribs are two headed skull raised into a very long prominence behind blowhole terigoids large and in contact pectoral fin long and falcate dorsal fin moderately so the number of phalanges is one three to four two nine to fourteen three nine to eleven four two to three five one to two no beak very broad premaxley and rostrum generally the best known and most widely distributed species is globiscephalus mellus trail plate 19 the color of the whale is black save for a white area on breast teeth 10 terigoids not greatly wider in front than behind this species has an extremely wide range it is common in the northern seas and specimens indistinguishable from those of british waters have been received from new zealand and the cape in a specimen at the british museum without epithesis there were six cervical vertebrae fused and only one free in a younger individual only five were fused this example is one of many which shows how careful it is necessary to be in using the number of vertebrae of the neck which are fused as a character of the 11 ribs six have two heads there are 14 lambars and 22 coddles in the older specimen there are all together 41 lambo coddles the phalanges in digits two and three of the embryo may reach so high a number as 27 and 12 respectively the formation therefore of a species g propincus moln upon a fetus with a greater number of phalanges than the adult g mellus is not permissible the fetus has a few hairs four or five all of the seven following names are to be looked upon as synonyms globicephalus sveneval gray g affinis id g edwardsi smith g incrosatus gray delfinus intermedius harlan d deductor scoresby d globiceps kuvier this whale has been largely fished in the pharaoh islands mr hc mula a native of those islands has recently gone into the matter and collected a large amount of information which is here partly obstructed it appears that the earliest date concerning the appearance of these whales was in the year 1584 this animal is spoken of as grandeval a herd being termed grand which signifies lattice work its application to the whales is apparently the placing of a line of boats across the mouth of a bay where a herd of the sedations has run toward the shore the result of the fisheries have fluctuated much in the period of years from the date already mentioned the whales are hunted and captured in the following manner when a herd is discovered a piece of garment is hoisted from the mast of the boat the inhabitants then rush to their boats and drawing together shape a half circle around the herd stones are thrown into the water by means of which the herd may be driven in any direction they are then driven in shore to a whale though which is a bay with a level sloping bottom of mud or sand preferably loose so that the water becomes muddy and the whales cannot see their way when the herd has arrived at the mouth of this bay the boats arrange themselves in three lines so that if one is broken through the animals may be driven back by the second hand so on the whales are then killed with lances the value of an average whale is three pounds seven shillings six d of which the oil one barrel full is estimated at 45 shillings the meat is dried or pickled and the stomach is dried and made into boys globiscephalus scumoni of cope has a length of 15 feet some inches color entirely black teeth eight pterygoids closely approximated and closely addressed intermaxillae not projecting over margins of maxillae this species which inhabits the north pacific is said by scumon to be generally found whatever sperm whales resort probably this is due to their feeding on the same kind of food as their gigantic relatives to wit squid the fish goes in schools from 10 up to hundreds which sometimes move rapidly and occasionally lie closely huddled together at the surface it seems to be necessary to state that this whale is called black fish for so many whales are called by this exceedingly obvious name it is not considered a prize by whalers for its oil is not abundant globiscephalus brachypterus also of cope is in color entirely black teeth eight pre maxillae greatly expanded anteriorly covering maxillae this atlantic species is of the form and size of the ca ing whale it may show a difference in the number of lambar vertebrae which are stated at 11 but the commencement of the quadal series being marked by the first chevron which bones are very apt to be lost it is a little difficult to be certain upon this point the total number of vertebrae is given at 57 one or two less than the numbers ascertained for g melas other reputed species are g sebaldi which in schlegel's drawing has a very different aspect from g melas being of a morselander build with a very falcate dorsal fin g macrorincus of gray and of unknown locality and unknown form what is known about it is the skull globiscephalus indicus of blith is allowed by blanford as a distinct form it has six to seven teeth on each side above and seven to eight below the pre maxillae are broad and entirely cover maxilla its color is a uniform leadon black the length is 14 feet two inches the animal goes in shawls and frequents the gangetic delta the genus turcio must be carefully distinguished from turciops its characters are big distinct no dorsal fin teeth small and numerous 44 terigoids separate it is a pity that the name turcio anti dates lucoramphus since turcio is so evidently suggestive of turciops to which genus the present is not so nearly allied as it is to prodelfinos the name of right whale porpoise has been applied to the dolphins of this genus on account of course of the absence of the dorsal fin the northern t borealis seems to be only distinguishable from the southern t peroni by its slightly different coloration this does not appear to be a sufficient reason for separating them but the matter will not be decided here the species peroni has a wide range and is black above and white beneath the colors joining abruptly it is southern in range Antarctic in fact though ranging as far north as new guinea the genus grampus plate 20 has no teeth in upper jaw but three to seven on each side of the mandible near to the synthesis vertebrae c7 d12 l19 ca 30 equals 68 six or seven pairs of ribs two-headed five pairs sometimes seven reach the sternum skull with pterygoid in contact primaxillae in front of nears raised no beak pectoral fin long pointed falcate dorsal fin high and falcate number of phalanges one two two eight to ten three six to eight four three five one in the vertebral colon only the seventh vertebra of the cervical series appears to remain free the only species is grampus griseus cuvier di risoanos de maré grampus cuvieri gray g soverbianus fissure g sacamata gray g sternisy dull g kinensis gray are believed really to refer to the same whale this dolphin often called resource dolphin is mainly mediterranean and north atlantic in range but like so many other cetaceans its limits are not very fixed and a skull conceivably belonging to a different species has been recorded from the cape it may return to those more southern latitudes during the winter resource dolphin is from 10 to 13 feet in length and is distinguished by its very remarkable coloration the prevalent tent is gray varying on the fins and tail to black and to white on the belly this white has a yellowish tinge anteriorly but the curious feature of the coloration is a series of irregular light streaks and spots suggestive of scraping upon wet paint in a younger individual the sides were marked with six regular transverse stripes this animal only six feet in length had eight whitish bristles on each side of the upper lip this is not by any means a common cetacean only a dozen records of its capture upon the english and french coasts are extant it feeds upon cuttlefish and is gregarious the genus orca plate 21 has 10 to 13 teeth large with recurved crowns terigoids not quite meeting vertebrae c7 d 11 to 12 l 10 ca 23 equals 51 or 52 first two or three cervicals fused the first seven ribs are two-headed five reach the sternum dorsal fin large and pointed the killer whales tyrannus balanarum formidable is balanarum hostess sometimes called grampus are the largest among the delphinidae reaching a length of 20 to 30 feet they are powerful rapacious animals and are the only whales that feed upon their own kind and upon large prey it is perhaps not necessary to believe with an old writer that a killer has been seen with a seal under each flipper a third tucked away under the dorsal fin and a fourth in the mouth but it is stated by eschrecht that from the stomach of one of these fierce whales no less than 13 purposes and 14 seals were extracted scammon relates how they may sometimes be seen peering above the surface with a seal in their bristling jaws shaking and crushing their victims apparently with great gusto and swallowing them a party of killers will also assault the largest whales scammon related an attack of this nature upon a california gray whale which he witnessed they made alternate assaults upon the old whale and her offspring finally killing the latter which sunk to the bottom where the water was five fathoms deep during the struggle the mother became nearly exhausted having received several deep wounds above the throat and lips as soon as their prize had settled to the bottom the three orcas descended bringing up large pieces of flesh in their mouths which they devoured after coming to the surface the therocity or at any rate the boldness of this predacious cetacean is also attested to by his highness the prince of monaco two years ago the prince writes i chased a school of three of these just off the monaco rock and very soon one was struck by my whaler's harpoon while it was ending with violent struggles the two others came alongside the whale boat and seemed willing to fight for their companion they swarmed round and round sometimes so close that the men touched their enormous backs with their hands it has been said that the long and pointed dorsal fin is used for aggressive purpose to rip up the belly of a whale the honorable paul dudley thus describes the attacks of the killers upon whale bone whales they go in company by dozens and set up a young whale and will bait him like so many bulldogs some will lay hold of his tail to keep him from threshing while others lay hold of his head and bite and thresh him till the poor creature being thus heated lolls out his tongue and then some of the killers catch hold of his lips and if possible of his tongue and after they have killed him they chiefly feed upon the tongue and head but when he begins to putrify they live him this killer is doubtless the orca that dr franjew describes in his treatise of animals his words are these when an orca pursues a whale the latter makes a terrible bellowing like a bull when bitten by a dog these killers are of such strength that when several boats together have been towing a dead whale one of them has come and fastened his teeth in her and carried her away down to the bottom in an instant in more northern regions the orca pursues the white whale and walrus not indeed the adult walrus whose strong tusks may be supposed to be a sufficient protection it is the young that the killer hunts the cub will mount upon its mother's back for refuge clinging to it with instinctive solicitude when in this apparently safe position the rapacious orca quickly dives and coming up under the parent animal with a spiteful thud throws the young one from the dams back into the water when in a twinkling it is seized and with one crush devoured by its enemy these observations refer to the killer whales in general a large number of different species have been described or at least named but observes sir w flower their specific differential characters if any have never been clearly defined we shall not therefore attempt any discrimination of species these have been partly founded upon the varying length of the dorsal fin and upon the color which is black more or less pervaded with the white blotches yellow in v benedin's figure the typical orca gladiator has much white about the body and an excellent model of this station agreeing with mr truce figure of this whale has been set up in the natural history museum at south kensington it is a whale that has been frequently met with upon our shores and a few years since a herd of three ascended the teams for some distance it occurs also in all parts of the world it is quite possible that there are several species of this genus but probably the bulk of the dozen or so of species allowed by dr gray have no existence save in his and in other catalogs it is probable according to f cuvia that this whale is the aries marinos of the ancients possibly the horrible sea satire of edmund spencer for the white marks on the head might be fancifully interpreted as closely adpressed horns the genus pseudorca is thus definable teeth eight to ten much like those of orca rostral portion of premaxile broader than in orca vertebral formula c7 d10 l9 ca 24 equals 50 six or all cervicals united six ribs two-headed dorsal fin rather small falcate there is but a single recognized species which is pseudorca crassidens a win this whale reaches a length of about 14 feet it was originally described from a skull found in the lingonsia fans and was naturally supposed to be an extinct species but afterwards it was discovered to live in the north sea and a species at first regarded as distinct ps meridionalis was received from Tasmanian seas the whale is scarce and there is not very much to be said about it it is not precisely evident why systematists have thought fit to remove it from the genus orca to which it is clearly very closely allied the genus orcella is thus characterized teeth 14 to 19 small sharp pterigoids widely separate rostral position of premaxile broad vertebral formula d14 l14 c26 equals 61 seven ribs two-headed five rich sternum no beak dorsal fin small falcate of this genus there is really but one species orcella brevirostres o n head convex anteriorly pectoral fins triangular dorsal fin small falcate the present species is a partly freshwater form and occurs in the ira wadi three to 900 miles from the sea it is also marine i unite the two species which true regards as separate on the authority of mr. thomas who has recently examined the material the genus sagmatias has the premaxile elevated into a crest in front of nostrils pterigoids short scarcely or not at all touching teeth small 32 of this genus but a single species s amblodon is known and that only as will be observed from the definition from a single skull described by the late professor cope but the singular crest formed by the elevation of the premaxile is a character which seems to be in the present state of our knowledge of generic value it is however met with in fosena the genus feressa need hardly detain us long it is only known from two skulls with 10 to 12 teeth in each half of each jaw both assigned now to the same species f intermedia one was described as f attenuata sir w flower describes it as a connecting link between globiceps grampus and lagen orencus it must not be confounded with a very doubtful delfinus ferris of bonatae which has been variously interpreted as an orca or as a zephyde and of section 23 recording by mike botez