MAMMALIA. 413 



the whole animal, is principally dependent upon the immense 

 quantity of spermaceti, which is contained in a thick dense bag, 

 divided into compartments, and placed in the front pai-t of the 

 head. This substance, which exists in a fluid state in the 

 living animal, is also found along each side of the back, and iu 

 some other parts of the body." 



The Cachalot reaches the length of seventy feet. In its 

 enormous bulk, therefore, it equals or even surpasses the 

 common or Baleen AMiale. Its strength is enormous. A single 

 blow of the tail will dash a boat to pieces ; " and there is a 

 well-known authenticated instance on record of an American 

 ship of large size beuig stove in and foundered by the blow 

 inflicted by the head of an infuriated male Cachalot of large 

 size." Though small fishes have been found in its stomach, 

 its princii)al food is Cuttle-fish. 



Balccnidce. — The common Whale (Baltena raysticetus, Fig. 

 324) feccte, as is well known, on nunute Crustacea, moUusca 



Fijr. 82(.— Balbik Whale. 



{ante, p. 175), and meduste {ante, p. 42). It is so greatly 

 reduced in numbers in the Greenland seas, that Bafiin's Bay, 

 Hudson's Bay, and other localities made known by the enterprise 

 of British seamen, are now the principal seats of the " fishery" 

 — a term we would gladly change, as it tends to keep up the 

 vulgar and erroneous idea that the Whale is a fish. Its affec- 

 tion to its young, its importance to man; and the dangers in- 

 curred in its pursuit, are attractive subjects ; but instead of 

 entering upon their consideration, we prefer devoting our 

 limited space to points of structure exhibited in the \Vhale, 

 and, with some modifications, found throughout all the animals 

 of the present order. 



