cold weather when the current has slackened and there are comparatively quiet
reaches in which it can disport. The disturbed state of the river when it is swollen
doubtless renders the presence of the dolphin very difficult of detection, for at such
times it will simply expose its blow-hole, too restricted a surface to he noticed on
the troubled waters. In the cold weather its presence can easily he detected, without
its being seen, by the blowing sound it makes when it rises to breathe; hut
during the rains, the rush of waters effectually drowns this means of becoming
aware of its existence.
Habits and Food.—The Flatanista, unlike the dolphin of the Irawady, is not
gregarious, hut more than one may he observed at the same time in a comparatively
limited portion of a deep reach, hut it is difficult to say whether the Gangetic
dolphin confines itself to limited areas when there is no disturbing cause at work,
such as the rains, leading it to disperse itself over other channels and branches of
the river which are not accessible to it in the dry weather.
In rising to breathe, the Platanist may either simply expose the upper surface
of its head, sufficiently to bring its blow-hole above water, or, what is more common,
plunge out of the water upwards, forwards, and downwards, first exhibiting its
long snout, followed by two-thirds of its back. At such times it emits a short,
blowing sound, which doubtless has given rise to the term generally applied to it
along the Ganges and Brahmaputra. During the cold months, in the quiet reaches,
it even becomes at times extravagant in its movements, and will leap altogether out
of the water with the tail curved downwards. As a rule, however, its respiratory
visits to the surface are leisurely executed. I have had the rare opportunity of
narrowly observing the respiratory movements of this dolphin from having had one
alive for ten days in captivity.' In its place of confinement this individual rose
slowly to the surface, exposing the blow-hole and a portion of-its back. The blowhole
opened whenever it reached the surface of the water, the characteristic
expiratory sound was produced, and so .rapid was inspiration, that the blow-hole
seemed to close immediately after the expiratory act, and then the animal slowly
subsided. The respirations were tolerably frequent, occurring at intervals of about
one-half or three-quarters of a minute, and the whole act did not take more than
a few seconds for its fulfilment.
Some further observations on this captivie might have led to the supposition
that this Cetacean was exclusively a nocturnal feeder, because the fish given it during
the day were untouched, but when counted on the following morning were materially
diminished; every precaution having been taken to prevent their escape or
removal from the tank in which the dolphin was confined. Careful and extended
observation, however, of the animal in its natural state proves that it feeds during the
day as well as during the night, because dolphins are frequently observed going through
movements at the mouths of streams and close to the river bank, even among the
1 This dolphin, which measured 3 feet in length, was procured for me by the kind assistance of C. T. Buckland,
Esq., C.S., who succeeded in interesting Captain Huey, of the India General Steam Navigation Company, running
between Goalundo and Dacca. I t was captured at Dacca, and was brought alive to Calcutta in a bath filled with water,
being fed with fish by the way.
shipping of Caloutta, which can only he accounted for on the supposition that they
are engaged in a search for food, and like movements have also been noticed by night.
The food of the Gangetic dolphin, as pointed out by Reinhardt, chiefly consists of
fish and Crustacea. The many fishermen whom I have interrogated on this subject
have informed me that the dolphin seeks its food on the muddy bottom of the river.
The only specimen I ever succeeded in harpooning was caught dose to the half-sunken
remains, of a large ship, which was lying close to the river bank on the edge of ,a
subaqueous alluvial cliff, over, which it eventually fell into deep water. The outer
margin of the wreck was a favourite resort of Palamon caroimis, and fishermen were
daily in the habit of diving to its base in search of'these prawns, which they there
found very abundant. I have observed, while the fishermen were thus engaged, one
or more dolphins plunging quite close to them, and it was on one of these, occasions
that I was so fortunate as to isolate and capture one. On opening its stomach, I found
it filled with prawns, thus verifying the previous assertion of the fishermen that the
dolphins so observed were in the pursuit of prawns, which they found in the mud at
the bottom of the wTeck. While the dolphins were thus feeding, I have frequently
timed the duration of their stay at the bottom and found it generally, to extend
to about two minutes. I t is probable that the dolphin is guided to its. food by the
tactile sensibility of its long snout, with which it grovels in the mud, because, as will
be hereafter shown, the diminutive organ of vision, in this most anomalous. Cetacean,
is essentially rudimentary.
I have examined numerous other stomachs of this dolphin, and have found
in them, besides Palcemm cm-emm, the unquestionable remains of- Wdllago
attu, and Saccohrtmchm fossitts, both mud-frequenting fish. Besides these fish,
however, Reinhardt found in the stomach of the specimen he examined CMpea
telara, a species of •Pimelodes and a large species of Pemmm, and Roxburgh
says that in the stomach of one individual he found only some grains of paddy
(rice in the husk), a few fragments of shells, and many living active ascarides.1
Lebeck also observed rice in the stomach and mouth, and 'many living ascarides
and grains of rice in the former. Mixed among the contents of stomachs examined
by me, I have observed grains of paddy, seeds of the Kudoo grass, Paspalum
Ncrobiculatnm, and remains of beetles, while in the stomach of one there was a
solitary undigested bee.
I t is difficult to offer a quite satisfactory explanation of the presence of grain
in the stomach of the dolphin. There can be little doubt but that it finds access
adventitiously, and that it is in no way its food any more than beetles or bees'.
Two explanations suggest themselves: either that the rice had formed part of the
contents of the stomachs of the fish swallowed by the dolphin, or that particles
of rice had found their way into the stomach from the mud in which it grovels
for its food. Large quantities of husked and unhusked rice are sold from boats
at one of the 'gh&ts in the port of Calcutta, and it is noticeable that at that spot
> Thie eaceride, which is remerkably prevalent in the dolphin,, has been identified by Dr. gdbbold as M c a ri,
tim p ltr. End., P. Z. S. 1876, p. 297.