78 THE GREENLAND WHALE. 



is open, it presents a cavity as large as a room, and 

 capable of containing a ship's jolly-boat full of men, 

 being fifteen or sixteen feet long, ten or twelve nigh, 

 and six or eight wide. 



The mysticetus has no dorsal fin. The two pec- 

 torals are placed about two feet behind the angle 

 of the mouth, and are about nine feet long and five 

 broad. They cannot be raised above the horizontal 

 position; and hence the account given by some 

 naturalists that by them the whale supports its 

 young on its back, must be erroneous. The tail is 

 horizontal ; its form is flat and semilunar, indented 

 in the middle ; the two lobes are somewhat pointed, 

 and turned a little backwards. 



The eyes, which, according to Sir Charles Giesecki 

 and Mr. Scorseby, are not much larger than those of 

 an ox, and with a white iris, are situated in the sides 

 of the head, about a foot obliquely above and behind 

 the angle of the mouth. The sense of seeing is 

 acute in the water, when clear ; not so, however, in 

 air. On the most elevated part of the head, about 

 sixteen feet from the anterior extremity of the jaw, 

 are situated the blow-holes, consisting of two longi- 

 tudinal apertures, very similar to the holes in the 

 body of a violin, from eight to twelve inches in 

 length. 



The mouth, in place of teeth, contains two exten- 

 sive rows of baleen, commonly called whalebone, 

 suspended from the upper jaw and sides of the 

 crown-bone. The plates of baleen are generally 

 curved longitudinally, and give an arched form to 



