THE ARCTIC SEAS. 145 



instance of what has been called, in an examination 

 .of the care of Almiglity God over His inferior 

 creatures, the princiijle of compensation. When any 

 organ, or set of organs that answer purposes very 

 important in the economy of an animal are removed 

 in a kindred species with similar habits, or are so 

 modified as no longer to serve the same purpose, some 

 new structure is bestowed upon it, to supply the lack 

 of that which is removed. We have seen how the 

 Whale feeds, by receiving into its mouth a large 

 quantity of water, Mdiich is filtered through the whale- 

 bone. In order to this, the mouth is made very 

 capacious by the bowing over of the upper jaws in 

 the form of a high arch, the blades of whalebone 

 filling up the bow. But in the Eorqual the two jaws 

 are nearly straight, and the blades vary little in 

 length, so th£ t thus far tlie cavity of the mouth is 

 inconsiderable. Here comes in the compensation : 

 the lower part of the mouth (or, externally, the chin 

 and throat), instead of being stretched tightly across 

 the branches of the lower jaw, are w^rinklsd up into 

 many longitudinal folds, which, when the water 

 rushes into the mouth, expand and make a capacious 

 pouch or bag. On shutting the mouth and contract- 

 ing the muscles of the throat, the llesh is pursed up 

 again into folds, and the water is driven, as in the 

 former case, through the whalebone, which secures 

 the food. 



The Whales, gigantic as they are, yet having little 

 power of offence, find to their cost, in common with 

 nobler creatures, that harmlessness is often no resource 

 against violence. Several species of the voracious 



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