17- THE NATURAL HISTORY OF 



contributes mainly to the various evolutions of the 

 animal. 



The epidermis or skin is very soft to the touch, and 

 of a deep blue or brilliant black superiorly, whitish under- 

 neath ; under the true skin is a thick bed of very white 

 fat, convertible into oil. 



The Dutch, Danes, and most of the marine people 

 of the North, pursue this animal into remote and in- 

 hospitable regions, to obtain its fat. The Laplanders 

 and natives of Greenland, whose taste is not the most 

 remarkably delicate, feed on all parts of it, the flesh of 

 which they boil or roast, having left it first to putrefy 

 in order that it may become more tender. 



The porpoise is frequently confounded with the 

 dolphin ; however, it differs in having a shorter snout, 

 which although somewhat sharply terminated is much 

 narrower. In general, the porpoise is the smallest animal 

 of the two, and rarely exceeds six or seven feet. It is 

 of a thick form on the fore parts, tapering towards the 

 tail like the other cetacea. 



The mouth is of a moderate width ; the teeth sharp, 

 small, and numerous ; being commonly from forty to 

 fifty in the jaw. 



The porpoise lives chiefly upon the smaller fishes, and 

 is observed, when in quest of food, to turn up the sand 

 and mud at the bottom of the water like the common 

 dolphin, and this uneasiness has been considered by 

 seamen as a presage of stormy weather.* 



* In the Morning Herald Newspaper of July 31, 1833, is the follow- 

 ing article copied from the Dundee Constitutional. — " Salmon Hunt.— 

 On Tuesday se'nnight, a great number of porpoises appeared off the Mag- 

 dalene Yard in pursuit of salmon. It was astonishing to see the rapidity 

 of their movements, their twistings and turnings in pursuit of their prey. 

 The salmon were frequently observed to spring several yards out of the 



