Aquatic Mammals 235 



Can a man live inside a whale for more 

 than a very short time is the next point 

 to be considered. According to Mr. 

 Wilson the answer is in the affirmative. 

 He reasons " there will be air to breathe, 

 of a sort, the air necessary to enable 

 the fish to float. The heat would be 

 oppressive, but not more than 104 to 

 106 F. in the opinion of an expert, a 

 provision maintained by his blanket of 

 blubber often many feet in thickness. 

 This temperature, though fever heat to 

 a human being, would not necessarily be 

 fatal to human life. Again, the gastric 

 juice would be extremely unpleasant, but 

 not deadly. It cannot digest living 

 matter, otherwise it would digest the 

 walls of its own stomach." 



The author further attempts to 

 strengthen his case by quoting an account 

 of the Jonah-like experience of one James 

 Bartley, which took place as recently as 

 the year 1891, and was investigated and 



