VOL. XXXIII.] PHILOSOPHICAL TRANSACTIONS. JQ 



whalebone whale, but much longer, measuring 6 or 7 feet. This fish is some- 

 what longer than the other, but not so bulky; much swifter and very furious 

 when struck, and held with great difficulty; their oil is not near so much as 

 that of the right whale, and the bone of little profit, being short and knobby. 

 The belly of this whale is white. 



The bunch or humpback whale, is distinguislied from the right whale, by 

 having a bunch in the place of the fin in the finback. This bunch is as large 

 as a man's head, and a foot high, shaped like a plug pointing backwards. The 

 bone of this whale is worth but little, though somewhat better than the fin- 

 back's. His fins are sometimes J8 feet long, and very white; his oil much as 

 that of the finback. Both the finbacks and humpbacks are shaped in reeves 

 lengthwise, from head to tail, on their bellies and their sides, as far as their 

 fins, which are about half way up their sides. 



The sperma ceti whale is a fish much of the same dimension with the other, 

 but of a greyish colour; whereas the others are black; he has a bunch on his 

 back like the humpback, but then he is distinguished by not having any whale- 

 bone in the mouth; instead of which, there are rows of fine ivory teeth in each 

 jaw, about 5 or 6 inches long. They are a more gentle fish than the other 

 whales, and seldom fight with their tails ; but when struck, usually turn upon 

 their backs and fight with their mouths. The oil of the body of this fish is 

 much clearer and sweeter than that of the other whales. 



The sperma ceti oil, so called, lies in a great trunk about 4 or 3 feet deep, 

 and 10 or 12 feet long, near the whole depth, breadth, and length, of the 

 head, in the place of the brains, and seems to be the same;* it is disposed in 

 several membranous cells, and covered not with a bone, but a thick grisly sub- 

 stance below the skin, through which they dig a hole, and lade out the clear 

 oil. Not but that the head, and other glandulous parts of this fish, will make 

 the sperma ceti oil; but the best, and that which is prepared by nature, is in the 

 aforesaid trunk, which will afford from 10 to 20 barrels. Besides the sperma 

 ceti oil, this fish will yield from 20 to 50 barrels of common oil. 



Whales generate much like neat cattle, and therefore they are termed bull, 

 cow, and calf. They bring forth only one at a time, and that every other year. 

 When the cow takes bull, she throws herself upon her back, sinking her tail, 

 and 60 the bull slides up, she then clasps him with her fins. A whale's penis 

 is 6 feet long, and at the root is 7 or 8 inches diameter, thence tapering away 

 till it comes to about an inch diameter; his testicles would fill half a barrel, but 



*The sperma ceti is not " in place of the brains," nor "the same." There is a cerebral substance 

 distinct from it. 



