THE NARWHAL. 



437 



to the effect, that the "horn" is useful in the light of an auger, with which the animal is 

 enabled to bore breathing-holes tlirough the ice-fields, whenever it finds itself in want of air 

 beneath those vast frozen plains. But this theory is equally liable to the objection, that the 

 females want to breathe as much as the males, and would stand in equal need of so indis- 

 pensable an apparatus. 



That the "horn" is employed in some definite task, is evident from the fact, that its tip 

 is always smooth and polished, however rough and encrusted the remainder of its length 

 may be. 



The male Narwhal may perhaps use the tusk as a weapon of war, wherewith to charge his 

 adversaries, as a medieval knight was wont to charge with shield on breast and lance in rest ; 

 and if that be the case, the weapon is truly a terrible one. This conjecture derives some force 



NAKWHAL.-Jfono<ta monocen*. 



from the fact, that a herd of these aquatic spearmen have been seen engaged in sportive 

 pastime, crossing their ivory lances,' and seeming to fence with them, as the white weapons 

 clashed against each other. The play of animals, not to mention mankind, is almost invariably 

 founded on the spirit of combativeness, and generally consists in a sham fight ; so that the 

 Narwhal "horn" may probably be analogous to the tusks of boars and the horns of deer, and 

 be given to the animal as an offensive weapon, wherewith he may wage war with those of his 

 own species and sex who arouse his feelings of jealousy, or would interfere with his supremacy. 

 The food of the Narwhal consists chiefly of marine mollusks and of occasional fish, but is 

 found to be generally composed of the same kind of squid, or cuttle-fish, which supplies the 

 gigantic spermaceti whale with subsistence. As the remains of several flat fish have been dis- 

 covered in the stomach of the Narwhal, it was supposed by some authors that the animal made 

 use of its tusk as a fish-spear, transfixing them as they lay "sluddering" on the mud or sand, 

 after their usual fashion, thus preventing their escape from the toothless mouth into which 

 the wounded fish are then received. However this may be, the force of the tusk is terrific 

 when urged with the impetus of the creature driving through the water at full speed, for the 

 whole combined power of the weight and velocity of the animal is directed along the line of 



