This is a lovely engraving of a pair of dolphins at play.
There seems no doubt that this species is the dolphin of the ancients, although the pictorial representations on old coins, and the descriptions of the habits of the animal which have come down to us from the writers of antiquity, are alike untrue to nature. The species is occasionally met with around the coasts of Britain, but it is much rarer off Scotland than in the south. Like other dolphins, this species associates in shoals. 'The excessive activity and playfulness of its gambols' writes Bell, 'and the evident predilection which it exhibits for society, are recorded by every mariner. Large herds of these animals will surround a ship in full sail with the most eager delight, throwing themselves into every possible attitude, and tossing and leaping about with elegant an powerful agility, for no apparent purpose save mere pastime'