ZOOLOGY. — BAL^NA MYSTICETUS. 449 



SECT. I. 



A Description of Ani7nals, of the Cetaceous Kind^ 

 frequenting the Greenland Sea. 



Bal^na Mysticetus : — The Common Whale, or Green- 

 land Whale. 



This valuable and interesting animal, generally 

 called The Whale by way of eminence, is the object 

 of our most important commerce to the Polar Seas, 



regard to the Narwal. The Narwal Vulgaire, as represented 

 and described by La Cepede, does not, I am persuaded, exist ; 

 while the figure and description of the Narwal Microcephale, 

 though not a little erroneous, may easily be understood as re- 

 presenting the common narwal. The engravings, indeed, in 

 general, are unlike the originals. 



The style of La Cepede is animated and poetical ; and his 

 Histoire Naturelle des Cetacees is a most interesting work ; 

 but the interest, in many cases, is augmented at the expence of 

 truth. After this assertion, an example or two may be neces- 

 sary. — One can hardly doubt, says he (p. 3.), but that the 

 Mysticetus may have been seen, at certain times, and in certain 

 seas, 100 metres, that is 328 feet, long. In the present day, 

 he adds, they are from 20 to 30 metres (Joo^ to 98^ feet) in 

 length, (p. 5.) : They spout the water to more than the height 

 of 13 metres or 43 feet, (p. 8.) : They swim with the velocity 

 of 11 metres per second, or 21^ nautical miles an hour, (p. 56.) 

 And, speaking of the narwal, (Narwal Vulgaire,) he says, it is 

 14 to 20 metres (47 to 66 feet) in length (p. 151), and is 

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