FISHES. 479 



It is from the extraordinary circumstance of the teeth, there- 

 fore, that this tish demands a distinct history ; and such has been 

 the curiosity of mankind, and their desire to procure them, that 

 a century ago they were considered as the greatest rarity in the 

 world. At that time the art of catching whales was not known ; 

 and mankind saw few, except such as were stranded on the 

 coasts by accident. The tooth of the narwhal, therefore, was 

 ascribed to a very different animal from that which really bore 

 it. Among other fossil substances, they were sometimes dug 

 up ; and the narwhal being utterly unknown, naturalists soon 

 found a terrestrial owner. They were thought to be the horns 

 of unicorns, an animal described by Pliny as resembling a horse, 

 and with one straight horn darting forward from the middle of 

 its forehead. These teeth were, therefore, considered as a strong 

 testimony in favour of that historian's veracity, and were shown 

 among the most precious remains of antiquity. Even for some 

 time after the narwhal was known, the deceit was continued, as 

 those who were possessed of a tooth sold it to great advantage. 

 But at present they are too well known to deceive any, and are 

 only shown for what they really are ; their curiosity increasing 

 in proportion to their weight and size.* 



CHAP. V. 



OI' THE CACHALOT, AND ITS VARIETIES. 



The Cachalot which has generally gone under the name of the 

 spermaceti-whale, till Mr Pennant very properly made the dis- 

 tinction, by borrowing its name from the French, has several 

 teeth in the under jaw, but none in the upper. As there are no 

 less than seven distinctions among whales, so also there are the 

 .same number of distinctions in the tribe we are describing. The 

 cachalot with two fins and a black back ; the cacholet with two 



• A 8|)ecipa is mentioned by Fabricius, as beinfj: found on the shorp> of 

 Greenland, much smaller, of a black colour, with two obtuse teeth from 

 the upper jaw, a little curved at the tips, very weak, and raeasurinfj not 

 above an incli in length: it has likewise a small fin on the back, which it 

 wanting in the common Narwhal. 



