tio CETACEOl/S t 1 ^ tiE S. 



■with a fin on the back near the tail j the Pike-headed Whale, and tfi'e 

 Round-lipped Whale. The fin-fifh having a larger fwallow than the reft, 

 is more aftive, flender, and fierce, living chiefly upon herrings. How- 

 ever they are none of thenn very voracious. 



iThe Great Greenland Whale is the fifh the taking which is fuch an 

 bbjeft in different parts of Europe. It is a large heavy animal, and the 

 head alone makes a third of its bulk. The fins on each fide are from five 

 to eight feet, compofed of bones and mufcles. The tail about twenty- 

 four feet broad ; artd when the fifh lies on one fide, its blow is tremen- 

 dous. The fkin is fmooth and black, and, in fome places, marbled 

 Xvith white and yellow j which, running over the furface, has a veiy 

 beautiful cfFedt. This marbling is particularly obfervable in the fins and 

 the tail. 



The whale ufes only the tail to advance in the water, and it is fur- 

 prifing to fee with what force and celerity its enormous bulk divides the 

 ocean. The fins are only ufed for turning, and direding the velocity 

 imprefTcd by the tail. The female alfo ufes them, when purfued, to 

 bear off her young, clapping them on her back, and fupporting them by 

 the fins on each fide from falling. 



The outward or fcarf fkin of the whale is no thicker than parchmicnt; 

 but, this removed, the real fkin appears, an inch thick, and covering 

 fat or blubber from eight to twelve inches in thicknefs ; of a beautiful 

 yellow. The mufcles lie beneath j and thefe, like the flelh of quadru- 

 pedes, are very red and tough. 



The mouth is above twenty feet long, the upper jaw furniihed with 

 barbs, the greatefl in the middle, the fmalleft toward the fides. Thefe arc 

 the whale-bone J the longeft fpars of which are eighteen feet. The tongue 

 is almofl immoveably fixed to the lower jaw, feeming one great lump 

 of fat J and, in faft, it fills feveral hogfheads with blubber. The eyes 

 are not larger than thofe of an ox; and when the cryftalline humour is 

 dried, it does not exceed a pea. They are placed towards the back of 

 the head, being the moft convenient fituation for enabling them to fee, 

 both before and behind ; as alfo to fee over them, where their food is 

 principally found. They are guarded by eye-lids and eye-lalhes, and 

 they feem to be very fharp-fighted. As foon as the thin fcarf-fkin above 

 mentioned is removed, a black fpotis difcovered behind the eye; under 

 that is the auditory canal, leading to a regular apparatus for hearing. 

 In (hort, the animal hears the fmalleft founds at very great diftances, and 



at; 



