skin above-mentioned is removed a black spot is discovered behind the eye, and under this is the auditory canal, that leads to a regular apparatus for hearing. In short, the animal hears the smallest sound at very great distances and at all times, except when it is spouting water, which is the time that the fishers approach to strike it.

These spout-holes or nostrils in all the cetaceous tribe have been already described; in the whale there are two-one on each side the head before the eyes, and crooked, somewhat like the holes on the belly of a violin. From these holes this animal blows the water very fiercely, and with such a noise that it roars like a hollow wind, and may be heard at three miles' distance. When wounded it then blows more fiercely than ever, so that it sounds like the roaring of the sea in a great storm. We have already observed that the substance called whalebone is taken from the upper jaw of the animal, and is very different from the real bones of the whale. The real bones are hard, like those of great land animals -are very porous, and filled with marrow. Two great strong bones sustain the under lip, lying against each other in the shape of a half-moon: some of these are twenty feet long; they are seen in several gardens set up against each other, and are usually mistaken for the ribs of this animal.

Such is the general conformation and figure of this great inhabitant of the deep, the precise anatomy of which has not yet been ascertained. In those places where they are caught in greatest abundance the sailors are not very curious as to the structure of the viscera; and few anatomists care to undertake a task, where the operator, instead of separating with a laneet, must cut his way with an axe. It is as yet doubted, therefore, whether the male, that in most points internally resembles a quadruped, may not have one great bowel fitted entirely for the reception of air, to supply it when constrained to keep longer than usual at the bottom. The sailors universally affirm that it has; and philosophers have nothing but the analogy of its parts to oppose to their general assertions.

As these animals resemble quadrupeds in conformation, so they bear a strong resemblance in some of their appetites and manners. The female joins with the male, as it is asserted, "more humano," and once in two years

feels the accesses of desire.

Their fidelity to each other exceeds whatever we are told of even the constancy of birds. Some fishers, as Anderson informs us, having struck one of two whales, a male and a female, that were in company together, the wounded fish made a long aud terrible resistance; it struck down a boat with three men in it with a single blow of the tail, by which all went to the bottom. The other still attended its companion, and lent it every assistance, till at last the fish that was struck sunk under the number of its wounds; while its faithful associate, disdaining to survive the loss, with great bellowing stretched itself upon the dead fish and shared its fate.

The whale goes with young nine or ten months, and is then fatter than usual, particularly when near the time of bringing forth. It is said that the embryo when first perceptible is about seventeen inches long, and white; but the cub when excluded is black, and about ten feet long. She generally produces one young one, and never above two. When she suckles her young she throws herself on one side on the surface of the sea, and the young one attaches itself to the teat. The breasts are two, generally hid within the belly; but she can produce them at pleasure, so as to stand forward a foot and a half, or two feet; and the teats are like those of a cow. In some the breasts are white; in others speckled; in all, filled with a large quantity of milk, resembling that of land animals.

Nothing can exceed the tenderness of the female for her offspring; she carries it with her wherever she goes,

and, when hardest pursued, keeps it supported between her fins. Even when wounded she still clasps her young one, and, when she plunges to avoid danger, takes it to the bottom, but rises sooner than usual to give it breath again.

The young ones continue at the breast for a year, during which time they are called by the sailors "shortheads." They are then extremely fat, and yield above fifty barrels of blubber. The mother at the same time is equally lean and emaciated. At the age of two years they are called "stunts," as they do not thrive much immediately after quitting the breast; they then scarce yield above twenty or twenty-four barrels of blubber: from that time forward they are called "skull-fish," and their age is wholly unknown.

Every species of whale propagates only with those of its own kind, and does not at all mingle with the rest; however, they are generally seen in shoals of different kinds together, and make their migrations in large companies from one ocean to another. They are a gregarious animal, which implies their want of mutual defence against the invasions of smaller but more powerful fishes. It seems astonishing, therefore, how a shoal of these enormous animals find subsistence together, when it would seem that the supplying even one with food would require greater plenty than the ocean could furnish. To increase our wonder, we not only see them herding together, but usually find them fatter than any other animals of whatsoever element. We likewise know that they cannot swallow large fishes, as their throat is so narrow, that an animal larger than a herring could not enter. How then do they subsist and grow so fat? A small insect, which is seen floating in those seas, and which Linnæus terms the Medusa, is sufficient for this supply. These insects are black, of the size of a small bean, and are sometimes seen floating in clusters on the surface of the water. They are of a round form, like snails in a box, but they have wings, which are so tender that it is scarce possible to touch them without breaking. These serve rather for swimming than flying; and the little animal is called by the Icelanders the walfischoas," which signifies the whale's provender. They have the taste of raw muscles, and have the smell of burnt sugar. These are the food of the whale, which it is seen to draw up in great numbers with its huge jaws, and to bruise between its barbs, which are always found with several of these sticking among them.

This is the simple food of the great Greenland whale; it pursues no other animal, leads an inoffensive life in its element, and is harmless in proportion to its strength to do mischief. There seems to be an analogy between its manners and those of the elephant. They are both the strongest and the largest animals in their respective elements; neither offer injury, but are terrible when provoked to resentment. The fin-fish, indeed, in some measure differs from the great whale in this particular, as it subsists chiefly upon herrings, great shoals of which it is often seen driving before it. Yet even the swallow of this fish is not very large if compared to the cachalot tribe; and its ravages are but sports in comparison. The stomach and intestines of all these animals when opened seldom have anything in them, except a soft unctuous substance of a brownish colour; and their excrements are of a shining red.

As the whale is an inoffensive animal, it is not to be wondered that it has many enemies willing to take advantage of its disposition and inaptitude for combat. There is a small animal of the shell-fish kind, called the "whale-louse," that sticks to its body as we see shells sticking to the foul bottom of a ship. This insinuates itself chiefly under the fins; and whatever efforts the great animal makes it still keeps its hold, and lives upon the fat, which it is provided with instruments to arrive at.

The sword-fish, however, is the whale's most terrible enemy. "At the sight of this little animal," says Ander

machines for cutting the animal up than were used in the early fisheries. But as an account of this belongs to the History of Art, and not of Nature, we must be contented with observing that several parts of this animal, and all but the intestines and the bones, are turned to very good account-not only the oil, but the greaves from which it is separated. The barbs, also, were an article of great profit, but have sunk in their price since women no longer use them to swell out their petticoats with whalebone. The flesh of this animal is also a dainty to some nations; and even the French seamen are now and then found to dress and use it as their ordinary diet at sea. It is said by the English and Dutch sailors to be hard and ill-tasted; but the French assert the contrary; and the savages of Greenland, as well as those near the south pole, are fond of it to distraction. They eat the flesh and drink the oil, which is a first-rate delicacy. The finding a dead whale is an adventure considered among the fortunate circumstances of their wretched lives. They make their abode beside it, and seldom remove till they have left nothing but the bones.

Jacobson-whom we quoted before in the History of Birds, where he describes his countrymen of the island of Feroe as living a part of the year on salted gulls tells us also that they are very fond of salted whale's flesh. The fat of the head they season with bay salt, and then hang it up to dry in the chimney. He thinks it tastes as well as fat bacon, and the lean, which they boil, is, in his opinion, not inferior to beef. I fancy poor Jacobson would make but an indifferent taster at one of our city feasts!

CHAP. IV.

OF THE NARWHALE.

From whales that entirely want teeth we come to such as have them in the upper-jaw only; and in this class there is found but one-the narwhale, or sea-unicorn. This fish is not so large as the whale, not being above sixty feet long. Its body is slenderer, and its fat not in so great abundance. But this great animal is sufficiently distinguished from all others by its tooth, or its teeth, which stand pointing directly forward from the upper-jaw, and are from nine to fourteen feet long. In all the variety of weapons with which Nature has armed her various tribes, there is not one so large or so formidable as this. This terrible weapon is generally found single, and some are of opinion that the animal is furnished but with one by Nature; but there is at present the skull of a narwhale at the Stadthouse at Amsterdam with two teeth; which plainly proves that in some animals at least this instrument is double. It is even a doubt whether it may not be so in all; and that the narwhale's wanting a tooth is only an accident which it has met with in the encounters it is obliged daily to be engaged in. But it must be owned of those that are taken with only one tooth, there seems no socket nor no remains of any other upon the opposite side of the jaw, but all is plain and even. However this be, the tooth, or, as some are pleased to call it, the horn of the narwhale is the most terrible of all natural instruments of destruction. It is as straight as an arrow, about the thickness of the small of a man's leg, wreathed in the manner we sometimes see twisted bars of iron; it tapers to a sharp point; and is whiter, heavier, and harder than ivory. It is generally seen to spring from the left side of the head directly forward in a straight line with the body; and its root enters into the socket above a foot and a half. In a skull to be seen at Hamburg there are two teeth, which are each above seven feet long, and are eight inches in circumference. When

the animal possessed of these formidable weapons is urged to employ them, it drives directly forward against the enemy with its teeth, that, like protended spears, pierce whatever stands before them.

The extreme length of these instruments have induced some to consider them rather as horns than teeth; but they in every respect resemble the tusks of the boar and the elephant. They grow, as in them, from sockets in the upper jaw; they have the solidity of the hardest bone, and far surpass ivory in all its qualities. The same error has led others to suppose, that as among quadrupeds the female was often found without horns, so these instruments of defence were only to be found in the male; but this has been more than once refuted by actual experience; both sexes are found armed in this manner; the horn is sometimes found wreathed and sometimes smooth; sometimes a little bent and sometimes straight; but always strong, deeply fixed, and sharply pointed.

Yet, notwithstanding all these appointments for combat, these long and pointed tusks, amazing strength, and unmatchable celerity, the narwhale is one of the most harmless and peaceable inhabitants of the ocean. It is seen constantly and inoffensively sporting among the other great monsters of the deep, no way attempting to injure them, but pleased in their company. The Greenlanders call the narwhale the fore-runner of the whale ; for wherever it is seen the whale is shortly after sure to follow. This may arise as well from the natural passion for society in these animals as from both living upon the same food, which are the insects described in the preceding chapter. These powerful fishes make war upon no other living creature; and, though furnished with instruments to spread general destruction, are as innocent and as peaceful as a drove of oxen. Nay, so regardless are they of their own weapons, and so utterly unmindful to keep them in repair for engagement, that they are constantly seen covered over with weeds, slough, and all the filth of the sea; they seem rather considered as an impediment than a defence.

The manners and appetites both of the narwhale and the great whale are entirely similar; they both alike want teeth for chewing, and are obliged to live upon insects; they both are peaceable and harmless, and always rather fly than seek the combat The narwhale, however, has a much narrower gape than the great whale, and, therefore, does not want the use of barbs to keep in its food when once sucked into the mouth. It is also much swifter, and would never be taken by the fisherman but for those very tusks which at first appear to be its principal defence. These animals, as was said, being fond of living together, are always seen in herds of several at a time; and whenever they are attacked, they crowd together in such a manner that they are mutually embarrassed by their tusks. By these they are often locked together, and are prevented from sinking to the bottom. It seldom happens, therefore, but the fishermen make sure of one or two of the hindmost, which very well reward their trouble.

It is from the extraordinary circumstance of the teeth, therefore, that this fish demands a distinct history; and such has been the curiosity of mankind, and their desire to procure them, that a century ago they were considered as the greatest rarity in the world. At that time the art of catching whales was not known; and mankind saw few, except such as were stranded on the coasts by accident. The tooth of the narwhale, therefore, was ascribed to a very different animal from that which really bore it. Among other fossil substances they were sometimes dug up; and the narwhale being utterly unknown, naturalists soon found a terrestrial owner. They were thought to be the horns of unicorns-an animal described by Pliny as resembling a horse, and with one straight horn darting forward from the middle of its forehead. These teeth were therefore considered as a strong testimony in