THE PACIFIC OCEAN". 249 



him do, after having been unsuccessfully chased by 

 the boats."* 



A Whale will occasionally place himself perpen- 

 dicularly in the water, his whole head being visible, 

 presenting a most extraordinary appearance, like a 

 black rock in the Ocean: the object of this posture 

 is to take a rapid and comprehensive glance around 

 him, when he is apprehensive of danger. Some- 

 times, when attacked by boats, he will carefully 

 sweep his tail from side to side upon the surface, 

 as if to discover by feeling, the object of his dread. 

 At other tintes, he amuses himself by lashing the 

 water with the same organ, in the most violent man- 

 ner; covering the sea with foam, while the strokes 

 resound on every side. Breaching or leaping bodily 

 into the air, is alluded to in the above extract. 



The food of the Sperm Whale consists of different 

 species of cuttle or squid, occasionally varied with 

 small fish: to obtain these, Mr. Beale supposes with 

 much probability, that he descends to a consider- 

 able depth, and remaining as quiet as possible, 

 allows his narrow lower jaw to hang down perpen- 

 dicularly at right angles with his body. The whole 

 inside of his mouth, and particularly the teeth, being 

 of a glistening white hue, the squid are attracted 

 to visit it, and when a sufficient number are within, 

 the mouth is supposed to be closed. That the prey 

 is obtained in some other way than by pursuit is 

 proved by the fact, that Whales are often found 

 blind, and others with the lower jaw distorted, which 

 yet are in as good condition as others. These dis- 



* Beale's Sperm Whale, p. 49. 



