308 THE STELLERUS. 



the manner of Whales. It was larger than a Seal : 

 its colour was white, with some dark spots."* In all 

 probability this was one of the herbivorous cete ; 

 and were this the case, it could scarcely be any 

 other than the Stellerus. 



The head of this species is small, oblong, and 

 obtuse, and hangs down ; the mouth, too, is small, 

 and the lips appear double, that is to say, there are 

 external and internal lips. When approximated, 

 the void space between them is filled with a thick 

 mass of strong bristles, which are white, and an 

 inch and a half long, and as thick as pigeon's quills. 

 These are to this creature what the whalebone is to 

 the largest whales. But the masticating apparatus 

 is still more singular, and quite peculiar. It does 

 not consist of teeth, of which this animal has none, 

 but of two large white horny substances which adhere, 

 the one to the palate, and the other to the lower jaw. 

 Even the insertion of these substances is peculiar ; 

 not being into the bones, but into the superincum- 

 bent soft parts. They are not bony but horny ; 

 composed of fibres agglutinated to each other 

 like the horn of the rhinoceros.f The nostrils 

 are at the end of the snout, and are lined with 

 strong hair. There is no external ear, and the 

 aperture is small. The eyes are small and deep 

 set; the iris black, the ball livid; the tongue is 

 pointed and small ; the paws are about two feet 



Cook's Voyages, vol. ii p. 517, 4to edit. 



t See Brandt, Mem. of Petersburg!* Acad. 6*h scries, vol. ii. 



