photograph by the
Genus Delphinus
TYPICAL DOLPHINS
H e a d with long and distinct beak. Dorsal and pectoral fins falcate. Colour black
above, lighter below, with several conspicuous longitudinal bands on the sides.
Two deep lateral grooves on the palate, which Dr. True points out are the most
salient characters of the genus. Rostrum long and narrow. Pterygoids in contact.
Teeth, small, acute, and numerous ; 47 to 65 pairs. Vertebrae, 73 to 76. Two or
three, or possibly more species are recognised in addition to the one which occurs
in our waters, but a large number of described species have been discarded.
T h e C o m m o n D o l p h i n
D elphinus delphis, Linnæus.
D elpkinus delphis, Linnæus, ‘ Syst. Nat.’ 12th ed. vol. i. p. 470 (1766).
Delphinus vulgare, Lacépède, ‘ H is t N a t des Cétacés,’ p. 250 (1804).
? Delphinus novoe-zelandùe, Quoy et Gaimard, ‘ Voy. de I Astrolabe : Mamm.’ p. 149 (1830).
D elphinus fu lv ifa scia tu s, Wagner, ‘ Schreb. Saugeth.’ pi. 361.
D elphinus ja n ira , Gray, ‘ Zool. Erebus and Terror,’ p. 41 (1846).
D elphinus albimanus, Peale, ‘ U.S . Explor. Exped.’ 1st ed. viii. (1848).
? D elpkinus algeriensis, Loche, ‘ Revue et Mag. de Zool.’ 2nd ser. vol. xii. p. 474 (i860).
D elphinus major, Gray, ‘ Cat. Seals arid Whales,’ p. 396 (1866).
D elphinus fo rsten , Gray, ‘ Cat. Seals and Whales,’ p. 248 (1866).
D elphinus moorei, Gray, ‘ Cat. Seals and Whales,’ p. 396 (1866).
D elphinus w alkeri, Gray, ‘ Cat. Seals and Whales,’ p. 397 (1866).
D elphinus pomeegra, Owen, ‘ Trans. Zool. Soc.’ vol. vi. p. 23 (1869).
D elphinus b a ird ii, Dali, ‘ Proc. Calif. Acad. Sci.’ vol. v. (1873).
Delphinus marginatum, Lafont, ‘ Actes de la Soc. Linn, de Bord.’ 3rd ser. vol. vi. p. 518.
D elphinus fu scu s \
D 'ip h in u s souverbianus Lafonti Fischei. , Actes de )a Soc. Linn. de Bord.. 4th ser
D elpkinus varugatus V vol y I2 ; ( l8 8.,j.
D elphinus balteatus
D elphinus moschatus I
Local Names.— D olphin (English) ; D o lffin (Welsh, generally applied to the Dolphin o f
mythology) ; Springhval, D elfin en , Springeren (Norwegian)