530 THE SPERMACETI WHALE. 



The whalers appear to regard this animal with as much detestation as do the 

 European fishermen, for the Greenland Whale has no love for the Rorqual, and seems 

 to avoid the localities where this marine giant takes up its residence. It does not 

 frequent the more icy seas, but prefers the clear waters. The spoutings of the Rorqual 

 are very impetuous, as indeed are all its actions, and while engaged in respiration it 

 shoots along the surface of the water at a velocity of four or five miles an hour, instead 

 of lying still during that process as is the custom with the Greenland Whale. The 

 color of this species is a dark-gray, tinged with blue. 



The name Rorqual is derived from the Norwegian word, which signifies a " Whale 

 with folds," in allusion to the deep longitudinal folds which lie along the under jaw 

 and a considerable portion of the lower parts of the animal. The term Boops is from 

 the Greek, and signifies " ox-eyed," in allusion to the small rounded ox-like eyes of the 

 Rorqual. 



The Rorqual can be distinguished while in the water from the Mysticetus by the 

 comparatively longer and more slender body and more cylindrical form, and by the 

 fact of its possessing a dorsal fin. Its actions too are so peculiar as to mark it out to 

 an experienced eye. 



THE animals which form the next little group of Cetacea are remarkable for their 

 immensely large head with its abruptly terminated snout, and the position of the 

 blowhole, which is situated upon the fore part of the head, nearly at the tip of the 

 snout. 



They do not possess any baleen, but are armed with a most formidable set of teeth 

 in the lower jaw, which fit into a series of conical depressions in the upper jaw. To 

 a casual observer the upper jaw appears to be devoid of teeth, but on a closer examina- 

 tion it is found to possess a short row of them on each side, which are mostly placed 

 nearer the interior of the jaw than the conical depressions already mentioned, but in 

 some instances are found at the bottom of these cavities. The number of the teeth 

 of the lower jaw is very variable, but the average in adult specimens is about fifty-two. 

 The teeth are heavy, strong, and when the animal is young are rather sharply pointed, 

 but become extremely blunt when worn by the attrition of a long course of service. 

 In Europe the teeth of the CACHALOT, or SPERMACETI WHALE, are of no great value, 

 being considered merely as marine curiosities, and often carved with rude engravings 

 representing the chase of the animal from which they were taken, together with a very 

 precise account of the latitude and longitude, and a tolerably accurate view of the 

 vessel. In the South Sea Islands, however, these teeth are articles of the highest value, 

 being thought worthy of dedication to the idol deities, or at least placed as rare orna- 

 ments in the king's house. So great is the conventional value of these teeth, that 

 several wars have arisen from the possession of a Whale's tooth by an inferior and 

 unfortunate chief who had discovered the rarity and meant to keep it. 



The partly-hidden teeth of the upper jaw are about three inches in length, but they 

 hardly project more than half an inch through the soft parts in which they are imbedded. 

 In preparing the skull of the Spermaceti Whale these teeth are apt to fall out together 

 with the softer parts, as their attachment to the jawbone is very slight. Eight of these 

 teeth have been found on each side of the jaw. 



The CACHALOT is one of the largest of the Whales, an adult male, or " old bull," as 

 it is called by the whalers, measuring from seventy to eighty feet in length, and thirty 

 feet in circumference. The head is enormously long, being almost equal to one-third 

 of the total length. The term Macrocephalus is derived from two Greek words, signi- 

 fying " long-headed," and has been given to the animal in reference to this peculiarity 

 of structure. Upon the back there is a rather large hump, which rises abruptly in front 

 and tapers gradually towards the tail. The color of the Cachalot is a blackish-gray, 

 somewhat tinged with green upon the upper portions of the body. Round the eyes 

 and on the abdomen it is of a grayish-white. 



This species is chiefly notable on account of the valuable substances which are 

 obtained from its body, including oil and spermaceti. The oil is obtained from the 

 blubber, which is not very thick in this animal, being only fourteen inches in depth on 



