PREFACE. 



It has long been a matter of surprise to Naturalists that 

 no English Zoologist has considered it worth while to 

 delineate accurately the Oceanic Inhabitants of the 

 Arctic Regions — a portion of Natural History embrac- 

 ing not only subjects of the highest interest to the 

 Philosopher, Theologian, and all lovers of the works of 

 an Omnipotent and All-bountiful Creator, but, in fact, 

 forming the wonders of the creation, inasmuch as some 

 of these (the Whale genus for example) are the most 

 stupendous creatures which can possibly be conceived 

 by human beings, who breathe the vital air in common 

 with themselves, their offspring being brought forth, 

 and during their earlier periods of existence nourished, 

 in a similar manner to man and the higher order of 

 animals by which he is surrounded, but whose residence 

 is in an element where the latter would perish, from the 

 habitation of the former being the vast and mighty deep. 

 Yet, the published descriptions of these creatures are 

 either intermixed with fabulous narrations or else they 

 are too superficial in point of matter of fact, as is the 

 case with those related in the Natural History of Count 

 Buffon, Dr. Goldsmith's Animated Nature, and others 

 too numerous here to mention. 



Notwithstanding so much has been said in the above 

 mentioned publications, yet, strange to say, there is no 



