416 WHAI.E-FISHERY. 



It is a substance of a horny appearance and con- 

 sistence, extremely flexible and elastic, generally 

 of a bluish black colour, but not unfrequently strip- 

 ed longitudinally with white, and exhibiting a beau- 

 tiful play of colour on the surface. Internally it 

 is of a fibrous texture, resembling hair ; and the ex- 

 ternal surface consists of a smooth enamel, capable 

 of receiving a good polish. 



This substance, when taken from the wliale, con- 

 sists of lamina?, connected by what is called the giuji 

 in a parallel series, and ranged along each side of 

 the mouth of the animal. The laminae are about 

 iiOO in number, in each side of the head. The 

 length of the longest blade, which occurs near the 

 middle of the series, is the criterion fixed on by the 

 fishers for designating the size of the fish. Its great- 

 est length is about 15 feet ; but an instance very rare- 

 ly occurs of any being met with above 12 ^ or 13 feet. 

 Its greatest breadth, which is at the root end, is 10 

 or 12 inches, and its greatest thickness 1% or -A of 

 an inch. 



The two sides or series of the whale-bone, are 

 connected at the upper part of the head, or crown- 

 bone of the fish, within a few inches of each other, 

 from whence they hang downward, diverging so 

 far as to enclose the tongue between their extremi- 

 ties ; the position of the blades w ith regard to each 

 otlier, resembles a frame of saws in a sa^v mill ; 

 and, taken altogether, they exhibit, in some mea- 



