180 ZOOLOGY. 



does not consider that a mother Cachalot is more 

 troublesome or dangerous to destroy than one without 

 charge ; and although he will harpoon a calf, in the hope 

 of arresting the flight of the school, or of securing the 

 mother, the measure often fails in its object. 



I believe that we have seen the female purchase her 

 own safety by the desertion of her young. On several 

 occasions our boats destroyed a sucking calf, in the 

 midst of a school, without sufficient interference on the 

 part of the mother to lead to her being identified by the 

 harpooner. In one instance, the boats, while pursuing 

 a school, killed a calf with a single lance-wound ; the 

 body of the little whale remained floating on the water 

 but none of the adults discontinued their flight. On 

 another occasion we noticed a herd of females make off 

 with great rapidity, and leave a small calf, swimming in 

 an anxious and bewildered manner, in the vicinity of the 

 ship ; it continued thus deserted for some time; but was 

 ultimately rejoined by the mother, when they both set off 

 to overtake the main body of fugitives. 



The senses of the Sperm Whale are not despised by 

 the whaler, nor disregarded in his tactics. He considers 

 that, in this animal, the power of vision is greater 

 than that of hearing ; and although he is ever anxious to 

 approach his prey quietly, his principal attention is 

 directed to avoid bringing his boat within the range of 

 vision, or, as he expresses it, " upon the eye " of the 

 whale. To approach in a direct line with the snout or 

 the tail is not difficult. It is true that the splashing of 

 oars, and the rush of a boat through the water, appear 

 calculated to excite alarm in any animal endowed with 

 the most ordinary power of audition, but, independent 

 of the valvular conformation of the ear, it is probable 

 that while the whale pursues its course through the sea, 



