THE SPERM WHALE OR CACHALOT 



(Physeter macro cephalus) 



THE Sperm Whale can at once be distinguished from 

 all other whales by its massive head, which is about 

 a fourth of the length of the body, its great size, 

 and the presence of twenty to twenty-five large 

 conical teeth in either side of the lower jaw. The 

 upper jaw is devoid of whalebone, but instead there 

 is a set of teeth which are rudimentary and do not 

 cut through the gum. The male Sperm Whale 

 grows to a length of 60 feet ; the female is not so 

 massive in form, and is only about one-half the 

 length of the male. 



On the upper surface of the skull there is a large 

 hollow space, behind which a vertical wall of bone 

 rises. The cavity is filled with the oil known as 

 spermaceti. It congeals on exposure to the air. 



The Sperm Whale feeds upon the larger fishes, 

 squids, octopi and cuttles. To obtain its food it 

 sounds or dives, often to great depths. It inhabits 

 all the oceans of the world with the exception of 

 the Polar regions, and wanders vast distances. It 

 is found in greatest abundance in the tropical and 

 sub-tropical seas. 



Sperm Whales have been found stranded on the 

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