risiiES. 463 



the fish lies on one side, its blows are tremendous. The skin 

 is smooth and black, and, in some places, marbled with white 

 and yellow j which, running over the surface, has a very beauti- 

 ful effect. This marbling is particularly observable in the fins 

 and the tail. In the figures which are thus drawn by nature, 

 fancy often forms the pictures of trees, landscapes, and houses. 

 In the tail of one that was thus marbled, Ray tells us, that the 

 number 122 was figured very evenly and exact, as if done with a 

 pencil. 



The whale makes use only of the tail to advance itself for- 

 ward in the water. This serves as a great oar to push its mass 

 along ; and it is surprising to see with what force and celerity its 

 enormous bulk cuts through the ocean. The fins are only made 

 use of for turning in the water, and giving a direction to the ve- 

 locity impressed by the tail. The female also makes use of them 

 when pursued, to bear off her young, clapping them on her back, 

 and supporting them by the fins on each side from falling. 



The outward or scarfskin of the v.'hale is no thicker than 

 parchment ; but this removed, the real skin appears, of about an 

 inch thick, and covering the fat or blubber that lies beneath ; 

 this is from eight to twelve inches in thickness ; and is, when 

 the fish is in health, of a beautiful yellow. The muscles lie 

 beneath ; and these, like the flesh of quadrupeds, are very red 

 and tough. 



The cleft of the mouth is above twenty feet along, which is near 

 one-third of the animal's whole length ; and the upper jaw is fur- 

 nislied with barbs, that lie like the pipes of an organ, the great- 

 est in the middle, and the smallest to the sides. These compose 

 the whalebone ; the longest spars of which are found to be not 

 less than eighteen feet ; the shortest, being of no value, are 

 thrown away. The tongue is almost immoveably fixed to the 

 lower jaw, seeming one great lump of fat ; and, in fact, it filU 

 several hogsheads with blubber. The eyes are not larger than 

 those of an ox ; and when the crystalline humour is dried, it 

 does not appear larger than a pea. They are placed towards the 

 hack of the head, being the most convenient situation for ena- 

 bling them to see both before and behind ; as also to see over 

 them, where their food is principally found. They are guarded 

 by eye-lids and cyc-lashes, as,iri quadrupeds ; and they seem to 

 be very ^harp-sighted. 



