ZOOLOGY. — BAL^NA MYSTICETUS. 461 



affords less oil than any other blubber : in the cen- 

 tre of the tongue, and towards the root, this fat is 

 intermixed with fibres of a muscular substance. The 

 imder jaw, excepting the two jaw-bones, consists al- 

 most wholly of fat ; and the crown-bone possesses a 

 considerable coating of it. The fins are principally 

 blubber, tendons, and bones, and the tail possesses a 

 thin stratum of blubber. The oil appears to be re- 

 tained in the blubber in minute cells, connected toge- 

 ther by a strong reticulated combination of tendinous 

 fibres. These fibres being condensed at the surface, 

 appear to form the substance of the skin. The oil is 

 expelled when heated ; and, in a great measure, dis- 

 charges itself out of the fenks, whenever putrefac- 

 tion in the fibrous parts of the blubber takes place. 

 The blubber and the whalebone are the parts of the 

 whale to which the attention of the fisher is directed. 

 The flesh and bones, excepting the jaw-bones occa- 

 sionally, are rejected. The blubber in its fresh state, 

 is without any unpleasant smell ; and it is not until 

 after the termination of the voyage, when the car- 

 go is unstowed, that a Greenland ship becomes disa- 

 greeable. 



Four tons of blubber by measure, generally afford 

 three tons of oil* ; but the blubber of a sucker con- 



The ton or tun of oil, is 252 gallons wine measure. It 

 weighs, at temperature 60% 1933 lb. 12 oz. 14 dr. avoirdu- 

 pois. 



