His CAPTORS. 117 



Disorders and Deformities of Whales. Their Wars. 



human mammalia on the land. As it is, it is 

 quite clear that they are subject both to disease 

 .and deformity, some having been taken that 

 were entirely blind, both eyes being complete- 

 ly disorganized, and the orbits occupied by fun- 

 gous masses protruding considerably ; render- 

 ing it certain that the whale must have been 

 deprived of vision for a considerable space of 

 time, yet not so as to incapacitate him for feed- 

 ing, blind whales being found as fat as the see- 

 ing ones. 



The deformity referred to is a crookedness 

 of the lower jaw, which old whalers say is 

 caused by fighting. Sperm whales have been 

 seen to fight by rushing, head first, one upon 

 the other, their mouths at the same time wide 

 open, their object appearing to be to seize their 

 opponent by the lower jaw. For this purpose 

 they frequently turn themselves on the side, and 

 become, as it were, locked together, their jaws 

 crossing each other, and in this manner they 

 strive vehemently for the mastery, with a force 

 compared to which not even Milton's wars of 

 the angels 



Could merit more than that small infantry 

 Warred on by cranes ; though all the giant brood 

 Of Phlegra with the heroic race were joined 



