MAMMALIA MARSUPIALIA DIAGRAM 3. 55 



ORDER MARSUPIALIA. 



The Marsupials include the Opossums and Kangaroos, which 

 only inhabit the tropical parts of America and Oceania. These 

 animals are all remarkable for having a pouch in front of the 

 teats, in which the young hide when their mother escapes from 

 danger, or when they want to suck. (See page 31, for the figure 

 of the opossum). 



ORDER CETACEA. 



THE WHALE. The whale is the largest and best known of the 

 mammals forming the order Cetacea. It is hunted for its oil, 

 and for the substance called whalebone, which is found in its 

 mouth, and is used to make umbrellas and stays. Lamp-oil is 

 chiefly composed of whale oil. 



In spite of its enormous size, which is said sometimes to reach 

 a length of 120 feet in the largest species, the whale has a very 

 narrow throat, and can only swallow very insignificant animals. 

 We can understand what a large quantity it must require. 

 Therefore the whale only inhabits seas where the waters swarm 

 with living creatures ; it opens its enormous mouth, and swallows 

 thousands of animals as large as sardines, or at most, as 

 herrings. If its teeth were wide apart like those of most 

 Cetacea, its prey would escape. But instead of teeth, the upper 

 jaw of the whale is furnished with hard plates close to on& 

 another, like the teeth of a comb, which allows the water to 

 run off, while retaining the small fish and molluscs. These plates 

 are the whalebone. 



The chase of so large an animal is always a dangerous 

 expedition. Ships called whalers are fitted out for the purpose, 

 manned by hardy sailors. When they arrive at a place where 

 they expect to find whales, a sailor is set to keep a sharp look- 



