History of British animals - University of Guam Marine Laboratory

U MAMMALIA. CETACEA. Delfhinus,tab. i. f. 4—In the British seas near the shore, at all seasons, andtermed Meersuine, Herring-Hogs, Neessock, Pellock, and Bucker.This species seldom exceeds 6 feet in length, and usually occurs in the mostsheltered bays and friths, generally in pairs, and is irregular in its motions.In a female which I examined, b\ feet in length, the dorsal fin was 8 inchesbroad, and 5 high, and 2 feet 7 inches from the nose. Swimmers 3£ inchesbroad at the base, 7 long, and 13 from the snout. Nose to the eye, 6 inches.Nose to the blow-hole, 7 inches. Nose to the anus, 3 feet 7 inches. Gape,4 inches. The under jaw half an inch longer than the upper, and ratherpointed than obtuse, considering the size of the animal. Teeth, 54 in the upper-jaw,and 47 in the lower. Weight, 130 pounds. The fcetus, a male, wasfully formed, though only 1 inches long, and as there was milk in the teats,the period of parturition was at hand. This one was found dead 30th November.Hunter states that there are five cervical vertebrae, and one commonto the neck and back, fourteen proper to the back, and thirty to the tail.Ribs, 1G on each side.— The flesh of this animal was formerly held in estimation.Malcolm IV. granted to the Monastery of Dunfermling, " Capita pisciumqui dicuntur Crespeis praeter linguam, qui in meo dominio ex ilia parteScottwater applicuerint, in qua parte iliorum ecclesia sita est."—Sib. Fife. 295.50. D. Orca, — Grampus. Teeth conical, swimmers broad,and rounded.Orca, Sibb. Phal. p. 17 Hunter, Phil. Trans. 1787, p. 373. tab. xvi., xvii-—In herds in the British seas and friths, at all seasons.The grampus reaches to 24 feet in length.The lower jawis said to bewider than the upper, and the teeth to be about thirty in number. This speciesis gregarious, and moves rapidly forward in the water. When it comesto the surface to respire, it remains, like the porpess, but for an instant, andthen dives, describing, however, in its course a much wider arch. In theFrith of Tay, it goes nearly as far up as the salt-water reaches, almost everytide at flood, during the months of July and August, in pursuit of salmon, ofwhich it devours immense numbers. Hunter iound in the stomach of onewhich he examined, a portion of a porpess.We are still in want of a gooddescription of this species. The D. gladiator of Lacepede, constituted from adrawing and description of one taken in the Thames 1793, is regarded byCuvier as not distinct from D. Orca. The dorsal fin is considered as situatenearer the head than in the grampus, and to be higher and more pointed.51. D. melas. Ca'ing whale. — Teeth conical, swimmers longand narrow.NeiWsTour through Orkney, p. 221 Traill, Nicholson's Journ. vol. xxii.p. 81 Scoresby, Arct. Reg. i. 490. tab. xiii. 1—Common f. in herdsfrom autumn to spring, especiallyin the northern islands.Naturalists are indebted to Mr Neill for having first pointed out the distinguishingcharacters of this species as different from the grampus. Thoughit moves uniformly forward, its motion is slow, and when it comes up to blow,it remains several minutes on the surface. It is easily controlled in its motions,so that a whole herd is frequently driven ashore at once If one individualbe wounded and takes the ground, the others will speedily take thesame course, whence the origin ot the name. The following observationson the animal by Dr Traill, are given by Mr" Scoresby: Body thick, black ;one short dorsal fin ; pectoral fins long, narrow ; head obtuse ; upper jawbent forward ;teeth subconoid, sharp, and a little bent. This animal growsto the lengthof about 24 feet: the average length of the adults maybe about20, and their greatest circumference 10 or 11 feet. The measurements of oneexamined by Mr Watson, were as follow: length, 19£ feet; greatest circumference,10; pectoral fin (the external portion), 3£ feet long, by 18 inchesbroad; dorsal fin, 15 inches high, by 2 feet 3 inches broad; breadth of the