88 J HE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



through the water, a great quantity of which it dis- 

 places. 



This extreme velocity in the swimming of the Bakena 

 Nordcaper will on reflection appear highly necessary for 

 the purpose of its procuring food, inasmuch as this 

 species is not content like the B. mysticetus with feeding 

 on the molluscs, cancri, &c, or on those animals which 

 are dejorived of the powers of progressive motion, or are 

 unable to change their place but with great slowness. 

 The prey of this species, on the contrary, is extremely 

 rapid, from its preferring the Shad, and different species 

 of the mackerel, cod, and herring;* when it attains the 

 shoals of any of these fishes, or the banks of the shores, 

 it violently beats the water with its tail, creating a great 

 foam on the surface for some distance round. This is 

 done so quickly that the fish whom it intends to devour 

 are (according to La Cepede) rendered giddy, and, be- 

 coming paralysed from fright, can no longer oppose 

 themselves to its voracity, instantaneously become its 

 victims. Mr. Willoughby counted thirty-two in a speci- 

 men he examined, which according to Martin had been 

 captured in Iceland ; and in the stomach of another there 

 were discovered more than a ton of herrings. Horre- 

 bow mentions that in one of these species the fishermen 

 of Iceland discovered no less than six hundred cod 

 fishes (many of whom were alive) ; and a great quantity 

 of shads and herrings were found in one that had been 

 thrown on the shores when pursuing his prey with too 

 great eagerness.f From these accounts, it appears that 

 this is one of the most voracious creatures inhabiting the 

 Arctic Ocean. 



* The Zoology of these I shall describe in a subsequent part of this 

 work. 



t Hist. Nat. de C6tac6es, Tor. M._I,e Comte La Ccpcde. 



