29t> THE WHALE. 



mous animal are not converted to the slightest use. The 

 tongue appears fixed in the lower jaw, and resembles a 

 large lump of fat, sufficient to fill several hogsheads with 

 oil: the eyes are not larger than those of an ox, but 

 placed very far back in the head ; and, though there 

 is no external appearance of an ear, yet there is a black 

 spot near the eye which covers the auditory nerve ; 

 and its sense of hearing is by anatomists thought to be 

 very acute : the spout-hole, or nostril, through which 

 they breathe, and return the water they may have taken 

 into their mouths, has outwardly but one opening, 

 1 hough, upon an inward examination, two channels may 

 be seen ; and the noise the animal makes, when spout- 

 ing the water through them, may be plainly distin- 

 guished the distance of a league ; the skin is smooth 

 and generally black, marbled oyer with spots of yellow 

 and white; the outward one appears about the consis- 

 tency of parchment, but the inward one is more than 

 twenty times as thick; under this covering lies the fat or 

 blubber, which is always from eight to twelve inches 

 deep. 



Their fidelity to each other exceeds that of any other 

 animal, and surpasses even the constancy which birds 

 are allowed to feel. Anderson tells us, that he saw a 

 female wounded, whilst her attached partner was re- 

 clining by her side ; who, seeing the object of his ten- 

 derness falling a victim to the harpooners, stretched 

 himself upon her body, and participated in her fate. 



Nothing can exceed the affection of the female for 

 her offspring, whom she never forsakes either in danger 

 or distress ; and, when pursued, either clasps it to her 

 bosom, or supports it on her back by the help of her 

 fins. The vounsr ones continue at the breast for a 

 twelvemonth, when the sailors distinguish them by th$ 



