20 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



rally noticed to take place towards the latter end of sum- 

 mer; females with cubs, or, as the sailors call them, 

 suckers, along with them, being most commonly met 

 with in the spring of the year. When they copulate, 

 the female joins with the male, it is asserted, more 

 humano ; and once in two years feels the accesses of 

 desire. Their fidelity to each other exceeds even the 

 constancy of birds. Captain Anderson informs us that 

 having struck one of two whales, a male and a female, that 

 were in company together, the wounded one made a long 

 and terrible resistance: it struck down a boat with five 

 men in it, by a single blow of the tail, by which means 

 all went to the bottom. The other still attended its 

 companion, and lent it every assistance ; until, at last, 

 the whale that had been struck sunk under its wounds ; 

 whilst its faithful associate, disdaining to survive the 

 loss, with great bellowing, stretched itself upon the dead 

 animal, sharing its fate. - 



The embryo whale, when first perceptible, is generally 

 about seventeen inches in length, and of a white colour; 

 but the cub, when born, is black, and varies from ten 

 to fourteen feet. Baron Cuvier has asserted it to be 

 twenty feet. 



One cub is generally produced, occasionally two, but 

 never more. The maternal affection of the whale, which, 

 in other respects, is apparently stupid, is here striking 

 and interesting. The young one, being insensible to 

 danger, is easily harpooned, when the tender attachment 

 of the mother is so manifested as not unfrequently to 

 bring it within the reach of the whalers : hence, although 

 a cub is of little value, seldom producing above a ton of 

 oil, and frequently less than this, it is frequently struck 

 as a snare for its mother. In this case she joins it under 

 the surface of the water, whenever it has occasion for 



