MAMMALIA. 625 



fishery, since their baleen is worthless and they afford less blubber. Here 

 belongs Balcena Boops L. (not FABB.), Bal. Physalus FABB., Balcenoptera 

 arctica SCHLEG., LACEP. Cetac. PL rv. fig. i, BLUMENB. Abb. Naturh. 

 Gegtnst. No. 74, ROSENTHAI. Einige naturhist. Bemerkungen uber die 

 Walle, H. SCHLEGEL Nieuwe Verhandelingen van de Eerste Klasse van 

 het KoninJcl. NederL Instituut, m. PI. i, 2, Abhandlungen aits dem 

 GeUete der Zoologie, Leiden, i. 1841, Tab. VI. n. 1843, Tab. IX. This 

 species appears to be the largest of all; there are several examples of 

 animals more than 80 feet long (some even of 100) ; from time to tune 

 these whales are stranded on the coasts of the North Sea; these have 

 afforded to Dr SCHLEGEL opportunity for accurate descriptions and figures J . 

 A small species from the North is Balcena rostrata FABB., Pterobalcena 

 minor ESCHR. Distinguished by long pectoral fins is Balcena longimana 

 RUD., Balcena Boops FABB. (see RUDOLPHI Abhandl. der konigl. ATcad. der 

 Wissensch. zu Berlin a. d. Jahre 1829, Physikal. Kl. s. 133 144, mit Abb.), 

 the sharp-lipped Whale, the KeporTcak of the Greenlanders ; the same species 

 also occurs south of the line at the Cape of Good Hope and elsewhere. 



Physeter L., Catodon LAC. (Physalus and Physeter ejusd.). 

 Spiracle single towards the apex of the truncated head or superior 

 extremity of the snout. Lower jaw narrow, furnished with a row 

 of large conical teeth having an internal cavity, upper jaw edentu- 

 lous, or with a few teeth concealed under the gums. 



Sp. Physeter macrocephalus SHAW et auctor. not L., LAG. Citac. PL 10, 

 BLUMENB. ,466. No. 84; blunt-headed cachalot, spermaceti whale; attains 

 nearly the size of the Greenland whale, and is met with in various seas. 

 Formerly several species of this genus were adopted, but it is not suffi- 

 ciently demonstrated that they really consist of more than one; in one the 

 blow-hole would appear to be not at the fore part of the head, but further 

 back ; this is the Physeter macrocephalus L., from which LACEPEDE formed 

 his genus Physalus. For the specimens that have a dorsal fin LACEPEDE 

 reserved the name of Physeter. But in all well-preserved specimens the 

 so-named blow-hole opens at the fore part of the head, and there is a 

 tubercle or false fin on the hind part of the back. 



In special cavities of the head at the upper part of the skull a fatty sub- 

 stance is contained which hardens and then forms the spermaceti. The oil 

 also (spermaceti oil or sperm oil of the English) is collected. In the intes- 

 tines is found the grey amber (ambra grisea), a substance resembling 

 cholesterine, which is used as a perfume, since when burnt it emits an 

 agreeable smell ; this substance is sometimes found drifting on the sea in 

 warm countries or thrown up on the coasts. Comp. BBANDT u. RATZEB. 

 Mediz. Zool. I. s. 108 in. The Cachalots feed chiefly upon cephalopoda, 

 and live together in large troops, especially in the great ocean between the 

 west coast of America and the Eastern hemisphere, in which seas many 

 Englishmen and North Americans are engaged in their pursuit. 



1 For the viscera compare W. VBOLIK Ontleedkundige aanmerUngen over den 

 Noordschen vinvisch. Tijdschr. voor not. Gesch. en Physiol. iv. bl. i 24. 



VOL. n. 40 



