i88 WHALES AND WHALE FISHERIES xiv 



from the vertically-placed tail-fin of a fish. The fore limbs 

 are reduced to the condition of flattened paddles, encased in a 

 continuous skin, showing no external sign of division into 

 arm, forearm, hand, or fingers, and without any trace of 

 nails. There are no vestiges of hind limbs visible externally, 

 although in many species rudiments of the hip and thigh bones, 

 and of the muscles and joints connecting them, are found 

 buried far away below the surface. The general surface of the 

 body is smooth and glistening and devoid of hair, the absence 

 of which, as a preserver of the animal heat, is compensated for 

 by the remarkable layer of dense fat or " blubber " immediately 

 beneath the skin. The whole organisation necessitates their 

 life being passed entirely in the water, as on land they are 

 absolutely helpless; but they have to rise very frequently to 

 the surface for the purpose of respiration. The position of the 

 respiratory orifice, nostril, or " blowhole " on the highest part 

 of the head is very important for this mode of life, since it is 

 the only part of the body of which the exposure above the 

 surface is absolutely necessary. Of the numerous erroneous 

 ideas connected with natural history, few are so widespread 

 and still so firmly believed, notwithstanding repeated ex- 

 positions of its falsity, as that whales spout out through their 

 blowholes water taken in at their mouth. The fact is, the 

 " spouting," or more properly " blowing," of the whale is 

 nothing more than the ordinary act of breathing, which, 

 taking place at longer intervals than in land animals, is 

 performed with a greater amount of emphasis. The moment 

 the animal rises to the surface it forcibly expels from its lungs 

 the air taken in at the last inspiration, which of course is 

 highly charged with watery vapour in consequence of the 

 natural respiratory changes. This, rapidly condensing in the 

 cold atmosphere in which the phenomenon is generally ob- 

 served, forms a column of steam or spray, which has been 

 erroneously taken for water. 



It also often happens, especially when the surface of the 

 ocean is agitated into waves, that the animal commences its 

 expiratory puff before the orifice has quite cleared the top of 

 the water, some of which may thus be driven upwards with 

 the blast, tending to complete the illusion. In hunting whales 



