ZOOLOGY. — MYSTICETUS. 471 



in the quantity of grey colour in the skin, and a 

 change to a yellowish tinge of the white parts about 

 the head ; a decrease in the quantity of oil yielded 

 by a certain weight of blubber ; an increase of hard- 

 ness in the blubber, and in the thickness and strength 

 of the ligamentous fibres of which it is partly com- 

 posed. 



The maternal affection of the whale, which, in 

 other respects, is apparently a stupid animal, is 

 striking and interesting. The cub, being insensi- 

 ble to danger, is easily harpooned ; when the tender 

 attachment of the mother is so manifested as not un- 

 freqviently to bring it within the reach of the' whalers. 

 Hence, though a cub is of little value, seldom pro- 

 ducing above a ton of oil, and often less, yet it 

 is sometimes struck as a snare for its mother. In 

 this case, she joins it at the surface of the water, 

 whenever it has occasion to rise for respiration ; en- 

 courages it to swim off; assists its flight, by taking 

 it under her fin ; and seldom deserts it w^iile life 

 remains. She is then dangerous to approach ; but 

 affords frequent opportunities for attack. She 

 loses all regard for her own safety, in anxiety for 

 the preservation of her young ; — dashes through the 

 midst of her enemies; — despises the danger that 

 threatens her ; — and even voluntarily remains with 

 her offspring, after various attacks on herself from 

 the harpoons of the fishers. In June 1811, one of 

 my harpooners struck a sucker, with the hope of its 



