274 The Sperm Whale and its Food 



arranged spirally like those of a pine cone. The fin (nageori) 

 is very powerful, and forms one-half of the length of the body. 

 It is not furnished with scales. 



The stomach of the cachalot contained, besides, another 

 cephalopod of large size, provided with a large fin, the skin 

 of which enclosed certain photogenic organs. The head is 

 wanting, so that it is impossible to affirm with certainty that 

 it belongs to a new species, which is made very probable by 

 the form of the body. Finally, the stomach of the cachalot 

 contained a large number of beaks and rays or plumes, the 

 difficult digestible residue of former repasts. 



The cachalot which was killed by the whalers of Terceira, 

 almost under the keel of the "Princesse Alice," seems as if it 

 had been guided, in the pursuit of its food, by a desire to devour 

 nothing but animals which, up to the present, are completely 

 unknown, and in addition are of the highest importance for 

 the morphology of the cephalopods. These cephalopods are 

 all powerful swimmers, and very muscular. They appear to 

 belong to the fauna of the deep intermediate waters, which is 

 almost completely unknown, at least as regards the larger 

 animals. They never come to the surface, nor do they lie 

 on the bottom of the sea. Their great agility enables them to 

 avoid every attempt to take them by nets ; and it would appear 

 that, for the present, the only means of capturing these inter- 

 esting and gigantic animals is to commission a bigger giant to 

 undertake the task, and to kill him in his turn when he has 

 performed the service. 



(1918.) Twenty-two years have passed since the natural 

 history of the intermediate waters of the ocean was illuminated 

 by the prompt and skilful use made by His Highness the Prince 

 of Monaco of an opportunity which, as a mere matter of prob- 

 ability, cannot be expected to present itself twice in the life- 

 time of one man. During all these years the Prince has never 

 lost sight of the great problem, but opportunity has failed ; and 

 it seems that the grand fauna of these depths cannot be caught 

 except vicariously through, and by the death of, the cachalot. 



The sperm whale fishing is a very old occupation and it is 



