Jul 23, 2017 · 1 min read
Franklin is very obviously describing the dolphinfish, not the dolphin. In particular, his description of its bright colors is typical of the dolphinfish, once known simply as the dolphin, a name which is now restricted to the cetacean. Such ambiguity is common in historical texts. For example, before the 19th century, a “dutchman” was a German, not a Dutchman, and a “meteor” was any strange light in the sky, such as ball lightning.