654 



NATURAL HISTORY. 



existing in the adult creature, which is said to feed on fish and soft marine 



animals. 



Most celebrated of all the whales is the sperm-whale, one of the largest 

 of all mammals, which occurs in all seas except those of the extreme 

 north. In length it may reach eighty feet or even more, and a glance at 

 our cut will show what a proportion of this length is occupied by the 

 large, square head, which has an outline varying strangely from that of 

 the skull. Between skull and skin in the front part of the head is an 



Fig. 512. — Sperm-whale (Physeter macrocephalvs). 



enormous deposit of flesh and fat, and on the right side is a large cavity — 

 the 'case' of the whalers — which is rilled with oil and spermaceti, some- 

 limes to the amount of fifteen barrels or more. On the capture of one of 

 these whales the first thing is to cut into this case and take out the oil and 

 wax in buckets. 



The sperm-whale has teeth, forty-eight in number, in the lower jaw 

 alone, and these fit into a groove in the upper jaw. These teeth, of the 

 whitest ivory, may he four, or even six, inches in length. These are of great 

 use in eating the squid and fish, which form the food of these huge beasts. 



