THE BELUGA, OR WHITE WHALE. 205 



Jameson, and is now in the Royal Museum at 

 Edinburgli. It was examined by Drs. Barclay and 

 Neil, whose observations are published in Trans. 

 Wernerian Soc. vol. iii. 



Dr. Neil well observes that the shape of this 

 animal is highly symmetrical, and at once suggests 

 the idea of perfect adaptation to rapid progressive 

 motion in water. It resembles generally a double 

 cone, one end of which is considerably shorter than 

 the other. Its head is small and lengthened, and 

 over the forehead there is a thick roimd cushion of 

 flesh and fat : the body continues to swell as far as 

 the pectoral fins, and from this point gradually 

 diminishes to the setting on of the tail. Its length 

 varies from twelve to twenty feet. Its pectorals are 

 large, thick, and oval. The tail is also powerful ; is 

 bent under the body in swimming, and worked with 

 such force, that it impels the Beluga forward, says 

 Giesecki, with the velocity of an arrow. The colour 

 is usually a uniform and beautiful cream colour, 

 whilst the younger ones are marked with broMTiish 

 spots, and occasionally are somewhat of a blue or slaty 

 colour. Scorseby remarks that he has seen some of 

 a yellowish colour, approaching to orange ; and this 

 agrees with the statement of Fabricius, who says they 

 are white, sometimes tinged with red. Many contra- 

 dictory accounts are given of the number of teeth, un- 

 questionably arising from the fact that in this whale, 

 as in most of the genera, the teeth have the greatest 

 tendency to drop out as the animal becomes aged ; 

 thus clearly sho^wing how objectionable and difficult 



