The Natural History of Ireland/Volume 4/The Common Dolphin

by William Thompson

CETACEA. The Common Dolphin, Delphinus delphis, Linn.,

Is found on the coast from north to south of at least the mord easterly half of the island.—I have not heard of its occurrence on the western coast. Templeton notices it as common, alluding, it may be presumed, to the north-east coast :—heads of this species, without labels indicating localities attached to them, are in the Belfast Museum, some of which are probably from this quarter. The dolphin seems to be of rare occurrence on the Dublin coast, as Dr. Jacob informed me in January, 1839), that in the course of many years he could obtain but one specimen. Dr. R. Ball considers it as not uncommon on the southern coast, and it is named in the Cork Fauna of Dr. Harvey.

The following notes were made by me on the Mediterranean when on board H. M. S. Beacon in 1841 :— April 16th. A herd of dolphins, in size and colour like the common species, kept rolling about near our vessel in the Straits of Messina. May 4th. Egean Sea. A round-backed species of Delphinus with a large dorsal fin, to which the sailors gave the name of Porpoise, rolling near the ship : three passed with amazing velocity, close under the bow where I was standing. May 5th Several of them near the ship when we were close to Syra ;two rolling about with their young so near to them that the dorsal fins of the two individuals in each case appeared to belong to one animal :—they thus exhibited themselves rising to the surface and going down again several times with as much regularity as a pair of horses in harness. May not their appearance in this manner have given rise to the fable of their drawing the chariot of Amphitrite across the sea ? May 13th. Dardanelles ; saw the same species at Koum Kali. May 17 th. Bosphorus; several of the same, going northwards towards the Black Sea. This Delphinus was not either of Risso's- D. globiceps, or D. Risso. Cuv. Hist. Nat. L. Eur. Merid. tome iii. p. 23, pl. 1, f. 1, 2. It is worthy of remark that no species of Dclphinus (Linn.) appeared in the open sea between Marseilles and Malta or thence to the Levant.