Whales as the Whalers Knew Them 195 



open. On seeing the white lining of the whale's 

 mouth the squid, either from curiosity or in 

 the pursuit of what it supposes is food, swims 

 into the very jaws of its enemy. Thus even 

 a whale with but a part of a jaw might secure 

 prey. In support of this belief is the fact that 

 blind whales (a fungous disease sometimes blinds 

 the sperm whale) have been taken that gave 

 as much blubber as one in perfect condition. 

 The sperm whale should therefore be called a 

 trapper rather than a hunter. 



The brain of the whale is but a small bit of 

 gray matter, if its size is compared with the bulk 

 of its body. The skull of the larger sperm whale 

 measures more than twenty feet in length. It 

 is wedge-shaped with the edge of the wedge for- 

 ward. The huge forehead that towers so high 

 above the water is composed chiefly of flesh, 

 gristle, and oil. Low down in the rear end of 

 this huge skull is a cavity "seldom exceeding ten 

 inches in length and as many in depth" that 

 holds the brain. 



A small brain may be exceedingly active, 

 however, and all whalers are agreed that some 



