THE SPERMACETI WHALE. 161 



of the size of a moderate salmon, which abounds in 

 the bays and creeks. He remarks, it is difficult to 

 conceive how so large an animal can ever catch a 

 sufficient quantity of such animals if it has to pursue 

 them individually, and the more so, as neither of 

 those specified are known to exist in shoals or 

 closely congregated. The theoiy of the sailors ori 

 the point is, that when one of these Cefee is inclined 

 to feed, it descends a certain depth, and there re- 

 mains as quiet as possible, opening its enormous 

 mouth, and allowing the lower jaw to hang down at 

 a right angle with the body. The internal parts of 

 the mouth, and the teeth, being of a white glistening 

 colour, are supposed to attract its prey, and when a 

 sufficiency is within the mouth, the jaw is closed and 

 the morsel is seized. Mr. Beale adopts this opinion, 

 and thinks it confirmed by two singular facts which 

 he adduces ; first, that of a whale he met with, which 

 must have been long blind, and was yet found in 

 excellent condition when captured ; and, secondly, 

 the frequent occurrence of great deformity of the 

 lower jaw, so as to make the capture of small 

 bodies impossible, and yet animals so circumstanced 

 are as rich in oil as healthy ones. The latter de- 

 formities, we may remark in passing, arise from the 

 severe contests which the animals maintain against 

 each other, in which the jaws are closely locked, 

 and the force mutually exerted is enormous. 



We have entered into these details as they em- 

 body the opinion of observers, which we would treat 

 with respect ; and also, because so far as the squid 



