48 WHALES AND WHALERS. [PART I. 



The maternal affection of the whale for its young 

 is very great. As soon as the mother observes a 

 threatened danger, she clings, as it were, to the calf, 

 tries to hide it, and often takes it between her 

 flooks (fins) and attempts to escape. She has even 

 been observed to carry off the calf when it had been 

 killed, but not fastened upon. Sometimes, however, 

 she seems to be infatuated, and heedless of all that 

 passes around her. If the calf has been once fast- 

 ened upon, the mother will never leave it. The 

 whalers assert that the young cows have less affec- 

 tion for their offspring than the old ones, and will 

 desert them at the appearance of the least danger. 

 It is, however, the affection of the whale for her 

 young which becomes the principal means of her 

 destruction. The calf, inexperienced and slow, is 

 easily killed, and the cow is afterwards a sure prey. 



It is not known in what position the cow suckles 

 her calf. The teats, which are two in number, are 

 abdominal, and situated between membranaceous 

 folds on both sides of the genital organs. I was asto- 

 nished to find them so small. In a female, whose 

 inammse were full of a fat milk resembling cow- 

 milk in taste, the teats were not larger than those 

 of a cow. The operation of suckling never having 

 been observed, it is no matter of surprise to find the 

 whalers denying that the cows suckle their calves ; 

 there can, however, be no doubt of the fact. 



The manner of carrying on whaling is so well 

 known as to render it unnecessary for me to dwell 



