forehead is rounded, and the thick projecting upper lip is separated by a hollow from the convexity of the head. The teeth, which are confined to the lower jaw, vary in number from three to seven on each side, and are all placed in front. As regards the ground colour, Risso's Grampus is very variable, being either black above and white below, or grey, passing into black above and white beneath; but it may always be distinguished by the curious way in which this ground colour is marked and covered with irregular lines and narrow streaks and spots of white. It is a rare animal, and nothing is yet known of its distribution and habits. Three specimens only have been obtained on the south coast of England.
Genus Globiocephalus, Lesson.
With the last-named genus the present agrees in having a rounded head, no beak, and long narrow flippers; but differs in the shape of the dorsal fin, which is long and low instead of high, and in the teeth, which are large and numerous in both jaws.
Globiocephalus melas (Trail). Pilot Whale, Ca'ing, or Driving Whale.—Averages from 16 to 20 feet, and has 56 vertebræ and 12 pairs of ribs. The jaws are short, the upper one being somewhat longer than the under one. The teeth, of which there are about 24 on each side in both jaws, are large and conical. The colour is deep black above and white below, terminating in a white heart-shaped spot on the throat. It is a native of the northern seas, but goes at least as far south as the Mediterranean, and occasionally visits our shores in some numbers.
Genus Phocæna, Cuvier.
This genus, which has most of the characters possessed by the two last-named genera, differs chiefly in regard to its teeth, which are present in both jaws, and are compressed, spatulate and truncated.
Phocæna communis, Cuvier. Porpoise.[1]—Average length 4 or 5 feet, with 65 vertebræ and 13 pairs of ribs. The lower jaw is slightly longer than the upper one. The teeth vary in number from 20 to 26 on each side in both jaws, and, as above stated, are compressed, spatulate and truncated, In colour it is black, or dusky, above, gradually shaded into white beneath. It inhabits the North Atlantic, but is seldom found far from land, and is the
- ↑ "Porpoise" from Porc-poisson. Often called "Hog-fish" by English sailors.
