162 THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



SPECIES V. 



THE PHYSETER MICROPS, 



OR 



THE SMALL-EYED CACHALOT .• 



There is considerable confusion in the accounts of 

 naturalists who have treated of this species of whale; 

 and this probably arises from their not having attended 

 sufficiently to the form of the teeth. According to the 

 words of La Cepede, " the Physeter Microps is one of 

 the largest, most cruel, and most dangerous inhabitants 

 of the deep. Adding to formidable weapons, the two 

 great sources of strength, bulk and velocity, greedy of 

 carnage, a daring enemy, and an intrepid fighter, what 

 part of the ocean does he not stain with blood?" 



Its head is so enormous as to equal the whole length 

 of the animal, independent of the tail fin, and it is as 

 large in circumference as any part of the body. The 

 u PP er j aw ? though not extending quite so far as the 

 snout, properly so called, is a little longer than the lower 

 jaw. The teeth which appear in this latter are conical, 

 curved, hollow towards the roots, and set into the jaw 

 about two-thirds of their length. The part beyond the 

 gum is white like ivory, and its tip acute, and curved 

 first towards the throat, and then a little outwards. Ac- 

 cording to Fabricius, there are only twenty-two teeth in 



* French, Cachalot Microps, Cachalot a dents cnfancille. Norweg. 

 Staur-Hyrning ; Greenland, Tisagusik. The Parmacetty Whale, or 

 Poleval-fish, Dale's Harwich, Black-Headed Spermaceti Whale of Com- 

 merce. Cachalot Catodon or Pot-fish. Crantz's Greenland, Great- 

 Headed Cachalot. Pennant Brit. Zool. vol. iii. Cachalot Microps Bon- 

 naterre, Physetere Microps. La Cepede, p. 227. 



