1 88 A NATURAL HISTORY OF THE SEAS 



box, which in some species is as big as a football. The 

 neck bones are largely fused together, giving great strength 

 but little flexibility. 



Without entering into the complexities of its internal 

 anatomy, it may be mentioned that Whales have enor- 

 mously developed lungs, a very necessary provision, since 

 emergency may sometimes render it desirable for the animal 

 to submerge for an hour at a time. The brain is large and 

 richly convoluted. 



The completely aquatic life has rendered hair super- 

 fluous, though the few scattered hairs often found on the 

 lips of infant Whales point to an undoubted ancestry 

 of less wholly aquatic origin. 



The entire animal is swathed in blubber, or fat, which 

 not only keeps it warm but adds buoyancy. The broad 

 horizontal tail is often wholly composed of this, whilst 

 the forepart of the head may carry a mass of blubber 

 many feet thick which acts as an effective " cut water " — 

 a device copied in the " whale-back " bows of lifeboats 

 and deep-sea trawlers. 



The so-called " spouting " of Whales is merely the 

 result of sudden condensation of hot breath in cold air, 

 which appears as a jet of steam ; a little surface water 

 may occasionally become intermingled. 



Despite the vast numbers of Whales slaughtered annually 

 for their oil, much of the life history of these animals remains 

 a profound mystery. Their vast size makes it almost 

 impossible to keep any in confinement, whilst the wide 

 areas at their disposal and their ability to dive to immense 

 depths makes it equally difficult to follow their movements 

 with any certainty. 



