172 



ALLEN: NEW ENGLAND WHALEBONE WHALES. 



that it was necessary to attach a buoy to the Une and wait for the body to rise, "which it was 

 thought it would do in about forty-eight hours" (Nantucket Journal, vol. 8, no. 30, Apl. 22, 

 1886). 



The use of whalebone for stays in women's clothes probably dates back to the early days 

 of whaling, perhaps the 10th century or thereabouts. Blackstone mentions the ancient right of 

 the Crown to a share in the oil and baleen of the whales taken. He says: "Another ancient 

 prerequisite belonging to the Queen Consort, mentioned by all old writers, ... .is this; that on 

 the taking of a whale on the coast, which is a royal fish, it shall be divided between the King 

 and Queen, the head only being the King's portion, and the tail of it the Queen's. The reason 

 of this whimsical division, as assigned by our ancient records, was to furnish the Queen's ward- 

 robe with whalebone." ' Pennant explains that it was anciently believed that the plates of 

 baleen were the tail of the monster, hence the whalebone must have been allotted the Queen. 



Enemies and Parasites. 



The Orca or Killer Wliale {Orcinus orca) is said occasionally to attack the Right Wliale; 

 sometimes several combine and appear to be trying to bite the lips and tongue. These accounts 

 require confirmation, however. Otherwise, the species is not known to have any natural 



2 .3 4 



Text-pigs. 2, 3, 4. — Three species of Whale-lice, small crustaceans parasitic on the Right Whale. 

 2.— Cyamus gracilis cf. After Lutken, 187.3, Plate 4, fig. 10. 

 3. — Cyamus ovalis c?. After Lutken, 1873, Plate 2, fig. 4. 

 4. — Cyamus erralicus cf- After Lutken, 1873, Plate 3, fig. 5. 



enemies, a fact which may in some measure account for its quiet habits. It is not even known 

 that individuals fight among themselves, and its powerful tail is its only means of defense. 



Of ectoparasites, the so-called Wliale-louse is the best known. This is an amphipod crus- 

 tacean that has become highly modified for its peculiar mode of life. The body is about half 



' Blackstone's Com. Book, vol. 1, p. 222. 



