402 Fishes. 



in the sea, and has fins and a tail instead of legs and feet, 

 it resembles in most other respects a seal, and differs from 

 fishes, properly so called, in many important points. In- 

 deed, it is always included in the class Mammalia, by 

 zoologists, as it brings forth its young alive, and nourishes 

 them with its milk ; and hence a conceited person, who 

 said he knew every fish from the shrimp to the Whale, 

 was justly laughed at, as neither the Whale nor the 

 shrimp are included in the fishes by zoologists. 



The general form of the Whale's body is that of a fish ; 

 but the tail is placed horizontally instead of vertically, 

 and the skeleton of the fins exactly resembles that of a 

 hand affixed to a contracted arm, though it is covered 

 with so thick a skin that no trace of the formation of the 

 bones can be discovered externally. There are only two 

 fins, which are very small, and close to the head. The 

 Whale, however, differs from fishes most materially in its 

 having warm blood ; and in its lungs, which are exactly 

 the same as those of quadrupeds. Hence, though the 

 Whale can remain a long time under water without 

 breathing, it is compelled to come to the surface when- 

 ever it does breathe, and for this purpose it is furnished 

 with two large nostrils, or blow-holes as they are called. 

 The blow-holes are most beautifully and curiously con- 

 trived to close when the animal sinks under water ; so 

 that not a drop of water can enter the lungs, however 

 great the pressure may be. The Whale is also provided 

 with a very thick skin, containing an immense quantity 

 of liquid oil, called the blubber, which is so easily de- 

 tached from the flesh, that when a Whale is killed, the 

 blubber, which is sometimes two feet thick, is taken off 

 by passing a common spade between it and the body. 

 This thick oily skin is a non-conductor of heat, and is 

 thus admirably adapted for preventing the warm blood 

 of the Whale from being chilled by the cold of the water. 

 The true fishes, which are unprovided with such a cover- 

 ing, have cold blood, and are therefore not susceptible of 

 chills. 



The common Whale has no teeth in either jaw, but its 

 mouth is furnished with a kind of fringe of numerous 

 long horny laminaB, which are what we call whalebone, 



