THE EXTERNAL FORM OF WHALES 5 



Megaptera indica of M. Gervais referred to below. 

 The Greek described it as 48 metres ; but another 

 rendering of the text says 23 metres, which, though 

 laro-e, is nearer to what we now regard as the truth. 



SHAPE OF THE BODY 



In their shape whales present a remarkable uni- 

 formity ; indeed, next to bulk, this is perhaps their 

 most salient characteristic in the popular mind. They 

 are all " fish-like," with tapering body, big flukes, one 

 pair of paddles, no apparent vestiges of hind limbs, 

 no external ear, tiny eyes, and black or black and 

 white colouration. 



Contrast this state of affairs with what obtains in 

 many other groups of mammals. Compare the sloth 

 and the ant-eater, near allies in structure to each other. 

 One is tailless, long limbed, short snouted, inactive, 

 inconspicuously coloured, and with long, hooked 

 claws. The other is bushy tailed, comparatively 

 short limbed, enormously long snouted, vigorous in 

 its motions, conspicuous in colour, owing to the broad 

 white band upon its black body, and with strong, 

 tearing claws. Or to take an example from another 

 group of animals what a large difference seems to 

 separate the active, four-legged, brightly-coloured, 

 green lizard from the snake-like, inactive, dully- 

 coloured blindworm, and yet they are very closely 

 allied. 



But one very important reason for diversity in the 

 two examples selected, and for uniformity in the case 



