146 SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF MAMMALIA. 



home the skull of a female narwhal in which both tusks 

 projected, though only to the distance of two and a 

 quarter inches, and which was examined by Sir E. Home. 

 Nor with respect to the male must it be supposed that the 

 right tusk never becomes developed, for, on the contrary, 

 instances sometimes occur in which the right tusk projects 

 externally nearly as far as the left ; and there are grounds 

 for supposing that, w^hen the left becomes lost, or broken 

 by accident, the right tusk becomes developed to supply 

 the deficiency. Formerly these horns, or tusks, were 

 looked upon to be the horns of the fabulous land-unicorn, 

 and therefore they were valued as an inestimable curiosity, 

 and sold excessively dear, till the Greenland fishery was 

 set on foot, when they became more common, and their 

 real nature known. 



The use assigned to the tusk of the narwhal by Crantz, 

 viz. that of uprooting marine vegetables on which to feed, 

 is altogether a supposition. As the male only has this 

 instrument developed, or generally the male, the female 

 must be reduced to sad difficulties in the procuring of 

 food ; but in truth the position of the tusk renders such a 

 use as is here attributed to it impossible. Moreover the 

 narwhal does not subsist on marine fuci, or algae, but on 

 soft animal matters, as mollusks and fish. Captain 

 Scoresb}'' found the remains of cuttle-fish in the stomachs 

 of several which were opened by him, and similar re- 

 mains were also found in the stomach of one driven ashore 

 near Boston. 



In general form the narwhal resembles the porpoise, 

 but the head is small and blunt ; the mouth is small, and 

 not capable of much extension. The under-lip is wedge- 

 shaped. The eyes are placed in a line with the opening 

 of the mouth, at the distance of thirteen or fourteen 

 inches from the snout, and of small size, being about an 

 inch in diameter. The spiracle, or blow-hole, is a single 

 orifice of a semicircular form, on the top of the head, 

 directly over the eyes. The fins, or flippers, are about 

 fourteen or fifteen inches long, and from six to eight 

 broad : their situation on the sides of the animal being 

 at one-fifth of its length from the snout. The breadth 



