THE ''SPOUTING'' OF WHALES. 71 



dicular twin jets of the " right whale," the single, forward- 

 slanting "spout " of the sperm whale presents a thick curled 

 bush of white mist. Each whale has a different mode and 

 time of breathing, and the form of the " spout " differs 

 accordingly. 



It is said that the blowing of the Beluga, or "White 

 Whale," is not unmusical at sea, and that when it takes 

 place under water it often makes a peculiar sound which 

 might be mistaken for the whistling of a bird. Hence is 

 derived one of the names given to this'whale by sailors — the 

 " Sea-canaiy." Though I have had opportunities of 

 attentively watching the breathing and other actions in 

 captivity of two specimens of this whale I have never been 

 able to detect the sound alluded to. 



Besides the opinions cited by Mr. Bell concerning whales, 

 spouting water from their blow-holes, we have other 

 evidence which is most clear and definite, and which ought 

 to be convincing. 



We will take first that of Mr. Beale, who as surgeon on 

 board the " Kent " and " Sarah and Elizabeth," South Sea 

 whalers, passed several seasons amongst sperm whales. 

 He says : — >" I can truly say when I find myself in opposi- 

 tion to these old and received notions, that out of the 

 thousands of sperm whales which I have seen during my 

 wanderings in the South and North Pacific Oceans, I have 

 never observed one of them to eject a column of water from 

 the nostril. I have seen them at a distance, and I have 

 been within a few yards of several hundreds of them, and 

 I never saw water pass from the spout-hole. But the 

 column of thick and dense vapour which is certainly 

 ejected is exceedingly likely to mislead the judgment of 

 the casual observer in these matters ; and this column does 

 indeed appear very much like a jet of water when seen at 



