15-1 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



much less in price. Ambergrease, he observes, is only valued 

 for its purity, lightness, colour, compactness, and smell. 

 There are pieces found on different coasts, which are of a 

 very inferior quality ; whereas, there are often found in whales 

 pieces of it of the first value ; nay, several are found in the 

 same whale, according to the above-mentioned qualities, 

 varying in value. This substance hardens in the air, and im- 

 proves by age. It is more frequently discovered in males 

 than in females ; the pieces in the latter being generally 

 smaller ; whereas those in the males seem constantly to be 

 larger and of a better quality"; and therefore the high price 

 in proportion to the size is not merely imaginary for the 

 rarity of it, but is in some respects well founded, because such 

 large pieces appear to be of greater age, and possess all the 

 qualities which I have mentioned, in a higher degree of per- 

 fection than the smaller pieces. As the Sepia octopedia (or 

 cuttle-fish) forms a part of the natural food of the Physeter 

 Macrocephalus, the whalers know from experience that 

 whenever they find any recent remains of it swimming on 

 the surface of the ocean, they conclude that a whale of this 

 species is, or has been in the neighbourhood. Another cir- 

 cumstance which corroborates the fact is, that the spermaceti 

 whale on being struck generally rejects by the mouth some 

 remains of the sepia?. Hence it is easy to account for the 

 pieces of these animals which are found in ambergrease. 

 The beak of the sepia is a black horny substance, and there- 

 fore passes undigested through the stomach into the intes- 

 tinal canal, where it is mixed with the contents of the ali- 

 mentary tube ; after which it is either evacuated with them, 

 or, if these be preternaturally retained, forms concretions 

 with them, rendering the animal sick and torpid, producing 

 an obstipation, which ends either in an abscess, as has been 

 frequently observed, or terminates the life of the animal ; 

 whence, in both cases, on the bursting of the abdomen, that 

 hardened substance, known under the name of ambergrease, 

 is found swimming on the sea, or thrown upon the coast. 



