160 , WHALING AND FISHING. 



or torn off by wkales, while feeding at the bottom 

 Many of those we saw were of the circumference 

 ^f u. flour barrel. If this be the size of the arms, 

 of which they have probably hundreds, each 

 furnished with air exhausters the size of a dinner 

 plate ; what must be the magnitude of the body 

 which supports such an array ? 



The teeth of a sperm whale, which are found 

 only in the lower jaw, are conical in shape, coming 

 to a round dull point at the end. They set in 

 the gum in such a position as to hook backward, 

 and can be moved in their sockets by the hand. 

 Nevertheless they are very firmly fixed, having 

 ' to be drawn by means of tackle. Experienced 

 whalemen suppose them to be used principally 

 to tear loose their prey from the rocks. The 

 sperm whale has a tolerably capacious gullet, 

 which is evident from the fact that sometimes, 

 when about to die, he vomits forth pieces of squid 

 larger than a barrel. 



There is I think, no more beautiful exemplifica- 

 tion of the wisdom and foresight of the Creator, 

 than is seen in the instinct and means of defense 

 given to each of the principal species of the whale. 

 The sperm whale has the power of seeing any 

 object which approaches him from any point on 

 hi& side, his eye, to this purpose, being placed at 

 the end of his mouth, and nearly one-third his 

 length from the beginning of his head. He can 

 not however, see the approach of an enemy 

 from right astern or right ahead. But here, 



