88 MAMMALS. 



to breathe. The skin is not scaly like that of fishes, but 

 perfectly smooth, having, moreover, beneath it an elastic 

 cushion of fibrous blubber, — a wonderful provision against 

 the heavy pressure under which, for the most part, these 

 animals live. Again, the whales have no gills, but in 

 their place are endowed, like ourselves, with lungs, by the 

 aid of which they breathe the air direct; and, in order 

 that they may remain for considerable periods beneath the 

 surface, they are further provided with a marvellous means 

 of aerating the blood. The blowhole, through which they 

 breathe or " spout," closes hermetically with a powerful 

 valve whenever they dive. In short, it would be difficult 

 to find another order of living creatures better adapted to 

 the peculiar conditions under which they have elected to 

 live. Their mental standard cannot be very easily judged, 

 but it is probably low. Indeed, as their brain does not 

 amount to much more than three per cent of their total 

 bulk, some of the larger whales should be more stupid 

 than most creatures. 



Their reproduction is slow, indeed cynical folks have 

 some cause for remarking that this is the case with most 



„ ■ . valuable creatures, only the rats, sharks, and 



other vermin multij^lying with rapidity. The 

 possible explanation of this discrepancy is that nature did 

 not plan everything beforehand for the comfort of man. 

 At any rate, the whale only produces a single " calf " at a 

 birth, carrying it for over a year, and, after its appearance, 

 tending it with a devotion almost rare in some higher 

 mammals. She never hesitates, for instance, to jjlace her- 

 self between it and any danger that may threaten. 



Of the three most valuable products yielded by these 



creatures — the fourth is the oil run down from their 



blubber — it will be well to say a few words. Of these, 



,,^, , , the first is the so-called ivhalehone, to which 



WnniGDOiifi 



passing allusion has already been made. This 

 is put to a variety of uses, the chief being in the manufac- 

 ture of corsets, while a less important function is in the 



