porpita

[From Gr. porpē =a buckle-pin.] Zool.: A genus of Physophoride, akin to the Portuguese Man-of-war (q. v.). The disc is surrounded by a beautiful fringe of tentacles. Some are bright-tinted. One species is found in the Medit erranean. por-poise, *por-paise, *por-pes, *por-pe e, *por-peys, por-pice, *porc-pisce, *por-pose, *por-puis, *por-pus, s . [O. Fr. porpeis , porpeys = swine-fish, from porc (Lat. porcus ) =a pig, and Lat. piscis a fish. Cf. Ger. meerschwein ; Dan. & Norw. marsviin ; Sw. marsvin sea-swine; Fr. marsouin .] Zool.: Phocæna communis , and any species of the genus; loosely applied by sailors to any of the smaller cetaceans. The common porpoise, when full-grown, attains a length of about five feet. The head is rounded in front, and the snout is not produced into a beak. The external surface is shining and hairle , dark gray or black on the upper parts, under pure white. It is gregarious in habit, and is often seen in small herds, frequenting the coasts rather than the open seas. It often ascends rivers. Itis found on the coasts of Scand in a via, and ranges as far north as Baffin's Bay and as far west as the coast of the United States. Southward its range is limited, and it is unknown in the Mediterranean. It feeds on fish, and was formerly esteemed as an article of food. Its only commercial value now is derived from the oil obtained from its blubber, and its skin, which is used for leather and shoe-laces; but "porpoise-hides" are ordinarily obtained from Delphin apter us leucas , the Beluga, or White Whale. porpoise-oil, s . Chem. The oil obtained by heating the belly blubber of the porpoise. Specific gravity, 937 at 16°. It consists of a glyceride of oleic, palmitic, and valeric acids, has a pale yellow color, and forms a stable solution with one part of alcohol of 821.