Encyclopaedia Britannica, or, a Dictionary of arts, sciences, and miscellaneous literature : enlarged and improved. Illustrated with nearly six hundred engravings > Volume 5, BUR-CHI

34°
CETOLOGY.
ClafTifica- funk in confequence of die fiili fpouting with great
tion, &c. —- i
Chap,;
violence.
a. A variety of the grampus is defcribed by the late
Mr John Hunter, in the Phxlofophical 'Iranfa&ions
for 17B7. It is diftinguithed particularly by having a
very large belly, which diminiihes fuddenly towards
the region of the anus. The dorfal fin reaches nearer
the tail. It has the form of a rectangular triangle,
and is longer, but lefs elevated than the firit defcribed.
The lower part of the body is not perfectly white, but
is marked with brown and black fpots.
c. Delphinus Geadiator, the Sea-Sword.
SB ^
Characters. The form of the body of this fpecies is conical.
The dorfal fin refembles a fabre. The teeth are fmall
and lharp.
Defcription. This fpecies comes very near the grampus in the
form of the head 5 but it is chiefly diltinguifhed by
the dorfal fin, which is three or four feet high, and
about 18 inches broad at the bafe. It becomes {len¬
der toward the fummit, and is incurvated towards the
tail. This fin feems to be an offenfive inftrument 5
for with it they ftrike and wound the whale. The
length is from 23 to 25 feet.
This fpecies is gregarious. They are found to¬
gether in fmall bodies, which attack the whale with
great fury, and tear off large maffes from his body.
When he becomes warm and fatigued, he lolls out
his tongue, which is inftantly feized by the watchful
enemy. They even enter the mouth and tear out the
tongue entirely, which feems with them to be a deli¬
cate morfel. The delphinus gladiator polfeffes im-
menfe ftrength. They have been known to feize upon
a dead whale that was dragged by a number of boats,
and carry it to the bottom.
They are found near Spitzbergen, in Davis ftraits,
and on the coafts of New England, and even fo far
north as the 790 of latitude. They are very fat, and
the oil which they yield is efteemed very good.
6. Delphinus Leucas.
Beluga, Pennant’s Quadrup. ; Wittjxfch, Anderfon’s
Iceland.
9° . . • 1
Charafters. form of the body is conical. There is no dor¬
fal fin. The teeth are fliort and blunt.
The pe&oral fins are broad and of an oval figure. Oaffific
The dorfal fin is wanting, but in its place there is an »tion> &
angular protuberance. Xhe tail fin is divided into " *"**
twro rounded lobes.
The penis of the male is bony, of a white colour,
and enclofed in a {heath. The mammae of the female
are placed on each fide of the organs of generation.
The whole body is white, and marked in young
fifties with brown and blue fpots. The {kin is an inch
thick, and covers a layer of fat of three inches. It is
faid that the flefh of this fpecies has a reddifti colour
like that of pork.
It lives on different fifties, particularly the cod and
the foal fith. And as the throat is_ of fmall capacity, it
is fometimes fuffbcated in attempting to fvvallow filh of
too large.fize. The female has one young at a time,
which at birth is of a greenifh colour, but becomes
afterwards bluifti, and as it advances in age is white.
The females are gregarious, and the young follow at
their fides, imitating all their motions. This fpecies
is often obfervcd following ftiips, and exhibiting by a
thoufand different motions an amufing fpeftacle.
It quits the open fea during the rigour, of winter,
and enters the bays that are free from ice. It ii
feldom an objett of trade, on account of the little ad¬
vantage from the fat. iheir arrival, however, is con-
fidered by the whale fifhers as the fortunate prefage
of an abundant fiftiery. The length is from 12 to 18
feet.
JJeCcriptior. This fpecies has been arranged by fome naturalifts
among the whales, but having . teeth in both jaws
makes it properly come under this genus. The body
refembles a lengthened cone, having the bafe at the
peftoral fins, and the vertex at the tail. The head is
ftiort, and ends in an obtufe fnout, on the top of which
is a protuberance in which is the blow-hole, which
terminates in an bblique direftion towards the poile-
rior part of the body. 1 he jawrs are nearly equal. Ihe
lower jaw is furniflied with nine fmall obtufe teeth .on
each fide, which refemble in ftrudure the grinding
teeth of quadrupeds. The teeth in the fore part of
the jaw are the fmalleft. In the upper jaw the num¬
ber of teeth is the fame, but they are more pointed
and {lightly curved. , r . . , _
The eves are not larger than thole of the hog. I he
opening of the mouth is fmall, and the tongue is
ftrongly attached to the lower jaw. Behind the eyes is
ihtj external opening of the ear, but it is fcarcely vifible.
7. Delphinus Bidentatus.
93
The body is conical. The dorfal fin is fpear-ftiaped.Chara
The fnout is {lender and flat. There are two ftiarp
teeth in the lower jaw. 93
This fpecies in fome of its charatters refembles the DefcriptJ
delphmus turjlo, but in others is io different that, it
may properly be regarded as a diftinfl fpecies. I he
forehead is convex and rounded. The upper jaw is
flat, and ends in a beak like that of a duck 3 but.there
arc only two {harp teeth at the anterior extremity of
the lower jaw. The peftoral fins, which are of an
oval form and fmall for the fize of the body,. are pla¬
ced oppofite to the angles of the mouth. I he place
of the dorfal fin correfponds. to the origin of the tail,
is fpear-ftiaped, pointed, and inclines backward. . Ih*
tail-fin is divided into lobes, forming by their union a
crefcent. The lower part of the body is of a light
brown colour, the upper part is brownilh black. This
fpecies is fuppofed to be from 30 to 40 feet long.
8 Delphinus Butskopf, Bottle-headed or Beaked
Whale.
. 94
The form of the body is conical. The dorfal fin isflmad
incurvated towards the tail. The fnout is flat. and
{lender. The upper jaw and the palate are furniftied
with fmall teeth. # # 95,
The body reprefents a cone whofe fummit is towards Defcnpt *
the tail. The head is of greater height than breadth.
The front, which is full and round, becomes fuddcnly
narrow, and ends in a flat beak rounded at the extre¬
mity. The breathing-hole is on the top of the head,
oppofite to the orbit of the eyes-, it forms a crefcent
whofe horns are turned towards the tail. This is tne
chara<ffmft|c