196 The Story of the New England Whalers 



whales are more intelligent than others, and that 

 the more intelligent ones sometimes show as- 

 tonishing mental activity. 



Of the mental characteristics of the whale 

 it is noted first of all that the mother sperm 

 (for example) shows a strong affection for her 

 young. That the bowhead mother is seldom 

 seen with her young nowadays is one of the 

 curious facts of whale life, and whalers sup- 

 pose that the young are brought forth under 

 the polar ice and are kept there until large enough 

 for weaning. When the whalers find a mother 

 sperm whale and her young, they attack the young 

 one first, if possible, knowing well that the mother 

 will not desert it, and they will be able to secure 

 her after killing the smaller one. The distress 

 of the mother at such a time is manifest. 



"But for all the notice taken by the whale 

 she might never have been struck," says Bullen 

 in describing an attack upon a mother whale 

 with a calf by her side. "Close nestled to her 

 side was a youngling of not more, certainly, 

 than five days old, which sent its baby spout 

 every now and then about two feet into the air. 



