232 ZOOLOGY. 



guish the two species by the spout, which, in the 

 Humpback, is less regular in its repetition; arises 

 farther back on the head; and, ascending more per- 

 pendicularly, hangs longer in the air than that of the 

 Cachalot. , The hump, also, of the Rorqual slopes to- 

 wards the tail in a more oblique manner than does the 

 similar appendage of the Sperm Whale. 



It is a species frequently seen in the Atlantic and 

 Pacific Oceans, where it occurs in small herds, and sel- 

 dom at any very considerable distance from land, al- 

 though the vicinity\)f the most abrupt coasts would 

 appear to be its favourite resort. Examples are occa- 

 sionally seen in the neighbourhood of the islands of the 

 Pacific ; and very frequently in the deep waters around 

 the Island of St. Helena, where their visits are far from 

 pleasing to the fishermen, who believe that they de- 

 stroy the fish, or frighten them from the coast. The 

 highest south latitude in which we noticed the species 

 was 49 the highest north latitude, 40, on the western 

 side of the continent of America. In no part of the 

 Tuscans voyage did we find examples more abundant 

 than off the bold coast of Cape St. Lucas, California. 



The Humpback is seldom molested by whalers, and 

 is never the chief object of their pursuit ; although the 

 oil it produces is superior to that obtained from the 

 Right Whale, and but little inferior to Sperm- oil. The 

 flesh of the infant animal is a delicate food, not to be 

 distinguished from veal. I am informed by Captain 

 Stavers, that upon the occasion of his killing a calf of 

 this species, whilst his ship was at anchor in St. Helena 

 Roads, the flesh was sought as a delicacy by every class 

 of residents on that island, from the governor's suite 

 to the slave. 



