CETACEANS. 17* 



CHAPTER III. 



Natural history and habits of the Cachalot Geographical distribution 

 of the species Natural indications of its places of resort. 



THE Sperm Whale is gregarious ; and usually occurs in 

 parties, which are termed by whalers " schools " and 

 " pods :" the former name expressing the greater, and 

 the latter the less number of individuals congregated 

 together. A school may contain from twenty to fifty 

 or more Cachalots, and is composed of females, or 

 " cows," attended by their young, and associated with 

 at least one adult male, or " bull/ 5 of the largest size, 

 who acts as the guardian of the herd, and who, with a 

 devotion highly creditable to his gallantry, generally 

 takes a defensive position in the rear, when the school 

 is flying from danger. 



The smaller associations, or " pods," consist of young 

 or half-grown males, which have been driven from 

 their maternal schools, but yet retain a social disposi- 

 tion ; and sometimes of large and adult males ; although 

 these last more commonly roam the ocean singly, or in 

 association with the herds of females. When a solitary, 

 or " lone" Cachalot is observed, it almost invariably 

 proves to be an old bull ; and there is some reason to 

 believe that, in correspondence with a similar habit 

 amongst gregarious quadrupeds, the aged male fre- 

 quently retires from a social, to a secluded, state of 

 existence. 



Two or more schools occasionally coalesce, and form 

 a very large assemblage, technically distinguished as a 



