THE GREENLAND WHALE. &41 



particularly in Great Britain. This is, beyond dis- 

 pute, the largest animal in the creation, of which we 

 have any certain account. It is indeed of so enor- 

 mous a size, that it usually measures from .sixty to se- 

 venty feet in length, and its head constitutes a third 

 part of its bulk. The fins on each side are from live 

 to eight feet in lengtii, composed of bones vand mus- 

 cles sufficiently strong to give to this great mass of 

 body icctivitv of speed. The tail is about twenty-four 

 feet broad, and when the whale lies on one side, its 

 stroke is tremendous. The skin of this fish is smooth 

 and black, and in some places marbled with white 

 and yellow, which, running over its surface, has a 

 beautiful eiiect. Thu outward or scarf skin of the 

 whole, is no thicker than parchment; but underneath 

 nn-other appears about an inch thick, covering the fat 

 or blubber, which lies beneaih to the thickness often 

 or twelve inches, and when the fish is in health, is of 

 a beautiful yellowcolour. The cleft of the mouth is 

 about twenty feet Jong, which, in general, is about a 

 third part of the animal's length; and the upper jaw 

 16 furnished with barbs, which lie like the pipes of an 

 organ, the greatest in the middle, and the smallest on 

 the sides. These compose the whalebone, the, long- 

 est spars of which are found to be not less than eight- 

 een feet. The tongue seems but one great lump of 

 fat, and produces several hogsheads of blubber. The 

 eyes are not larger than those of an ox: they are 

 placed towards the back part of the head, the most 

 convenient situation for enabling them to see before 

 and behind, as well as above, where their food is 

 principally found. They are guarded with eye-lids 

 and lashes like those of quadrupeds, and seem to pos- 

 sess great acute ness of sight. Their hearing also ap- 

 pears to be no less perfect; and they perceive at % 

 great distance any danger that is preparing against 

 them. 



It has been already remarked, that the substanc* 

 called whalebone, is taken from the upper jaw of thfc 

 animal, and is very different from its real bone.-;, 

 which are hard like those of large quadrupeds, ami 



