Natural History of the Mammalia of India and Ceylon Part 48

NO. 262. DELPHINUS GADAMU.

NATIVE NAME.--_Gadamu_.

HABITAT.--Madras coast.

DESCRIPTION.-Body fusiform, gaining its greatest diameter at the fore-part of the dorsal fin, decreasing forward to the head by straight converging lines, and with a gentle convex curve to the eyes and blow-hole; the forehead descends with a bold convex curve; the sides of the head converge from the eyes to the base of the snout, which is divided from the forehead by a transverse groove extending almost horizontally to the angles of the mouth, and it equals in length the distance from the base to the eyes, which is five inches and a-half; the lower jaw projects a little beyond the upper; the blow-hole is crescentic, in a line with the eyes, exactly in the middle of the head, with the horns of the crescent pointing towards the snout; the pectoral and dorsal fins are falcate and about equal in size; the colour is a dark plumbeous grey, almost black upon the fins, especially at their fore-part; the body below being of a pinkish ashy-grey, with a few small irregular patches of light plumbeous grey.

The dent.i.tion varies from 24--24/24--24 = 96, to 23--23/27--28 = 101, and 27--27/27--27 = 108.

SIZE.--About seven feet from snout to fork of tail; girth about 3 feet 9 inches.

NO. 263. DELPHINUS LENTIGINOSUS.

_The Freckled Dolphin_.

NATIVE NAME.--_Bolla Gadimi_, Telegu.

HABITAT.--Madras coast.

DESCRIPTION.--Body fusiform, as in the last, but with smaller pectoral and dorsal but larger caudal fin; the back is straighter and not so much rounded on the shoulders, and the colour is bluish-cinerous or slaty, freckled with small irregular spots of brown or plumbeous, and longitudinal streaks of the same flecked with white; the under parts a shade lighter than rest of the body. The snout is six inches in length.

Dent.i.tion: 32--32/32--33 = 129.

SIZE.--Seven to eight feet; girth four feet.

NO. 264. DELPHINUS MACULIVENTER.

_Spot-bellied Dolphin_.

NATIVE NAME.--_Suvva_.

HABITAT.--Madras coast.

DESCRIPTION.--Forehead more convex than even _D. gadamu_, and head proportionately larger and body deeper. A deep s.h.i.+ning plumbeous black on the upper part, becoming paler near the belly, which from the underpart of the jaw to the perineum is ashy-grey, with irregular spots and blotches.

Dent.i.tion: 27--27/30--30 = 114.

SIZE.--About seven feet.

NO. 265. DELPHINUS FUSIFORMIS.

_The Spindle-shaped Dolphin_.

HABITAT.--Madras coast.

DESCRIPTION.--More slender in proportion to its length; a less elevated and less convex forehead than the last species; a proportionally thicker, broader, and more obtusely terminated snout; a deeper mandible or under jaw especially posteriorly, and smaller dorsal and pectoral fins, especially the latter. The greatest girth is in middle or fore-part of the dorsal fin, from which the body tapers to both ends, presenting the true spindle form.

Colour plumbeous, lighter below, darkest on the fins and snout.

Dent.i.tion: 22--22/21--21 = 86 teeth.

SIZE.--About six feet.

NO. 266. DELPHINUS POMEEGRA.

_The Black or Pomeegra Dolphin_.

NATIVE NAME.--_Pomeegra_.

HABITAT.--Madras coast.

DESCRIPTION.--More slender than any of the foregoing species; longish snout, with 173 teeth, viz. 41--41/45--46. It is well to note the irregularity here, not only an odd number, but the lower jaw has the greater number, whereas it is generally the other way. Colour almost black, lighter beneath. Professor Owen's description is not so full as in other cases, but from the ill.u.s.tration it seems that the flukes of the caudal fin are longer, and the posterior edge of the dorsal straighter than in the others.

NO. 267. DELPHINUS LONGIROSTRIS.

_The Long-snouted Dolphin_.

HABITAT.--Indian Ocean; coast of Ceylon.

DESCRIPTION.--Similar to the last, but with a longer and more slender snout.

NO. 268. DELPHINUS VELOX.

This is also given by Dr. Kellaart as a species found on the coast of Ceylon.

Sir Walter Elliot mentions another species of dolphin, of which he had lost the drawing, about thirty-two inches long, of a uniform black colour, small mouth, and no dorsal fin, called by the Tamil fishermen _Molagan_.

_GENUS PHOCAENA--THE PORPOISES_.

No beak or rostrum; snout short and convex; numerous teeth in both jaws. Kellaart testifies to the existence of a true porpoise on the coasts of Ceylon--which he identifies with _Phocaena communis_--of a blackish colour above and whitish beneath.

_GENUS GLOBICEPHALUS--THE CA'ING OR PILOT WHALE_.

Head globular in front; teeth few in number; the dorsal fin is high, situated nearer to the head than to the tail; the flippers very long and narrow; the fingers possessing an unusually large number of bones.

NO. 269. GLOBICEPHALUS INDICUS.

_The Indian Ca'ing Whale_ (_Jerdon's No. 146_).

HABITAT.--Bay of Bengal.

DESCRIPTION.--Body cylindrical, tapering to the tail; dorsal fin high, falcate, and placed about the middle of the body proper, excluding the tail portion; the forehead with a prominent boss over the snout, which is short; pectoral fins long and narrow; colour uniform leaden black, paler beneath.

SIZE.--Fourteen feet, flippers 2 feet; dorsal fin, 2-1/4 feet long, 11 inches high; tail flukes, 3 feet broad.

Blyth's specimens were procured in the Salt Lakes near Calcutta. It was for the young of this that he mistook _Orcella brevirostris_.