310 THE BOOK OF THE ANIMAL KINGDOM 



how many kinds of land animals are protected by a thick upper 

 skin, e. g. Elephant and Rhinoceros, but in the Whale the skin is 

 exceedingly thin and soft, and thus resembles that possessed by 

 many other aquatic mammals. The Whale's body, then, is covered 

 with this thin skin ; it has no hairy coat such as is worn by land or 

 amphibious animals, and it will at once be recognized by the merest 

 tyro that such a covering would prove of no service whatever to the 

 Cetacean. And beneath the thin skin what do we find? There is 

 a layer of fat, or blubber, from eight to sixteen inches in thickness, 

 and it is through the agency of this complete envelopment of the 

 body that this giant of the deep is able to preserve heat, and thus 

 be permitted to inhabit even the ice-cold waters of the Arctic 

 Seas. 



It is wonderful to notice that, in spite of its enormous bulk, the 

 Whale's movements in the water are both nimble and rapid. It 

 simply revels in the water, for it tumbles about in it as if in play, 

 much after the manner of a good swimmer who has perfect control 

 over his movements, and will actually lift its body above the surface 

 of the waves, or stand on its head and lash the water with its tail ! 

 How is it possible for this huge beast to carry out such extraordinary 

 evolutions? Briefly they may be described as under.* The body is 

 shaped like a boat, or fish, and hence the animal is still known in 

 some parts as Whale-Fish, and as a Fish to many people. There is 

 no visible neck, the vertebrae forming only narrow rings, or discs, 

 which are partially joined together. 



It is by means of the large tail that the Whale is able to propel 

 its huge body through the water, this appendage having powerful 

 muscles, and, writes" Dr. Schmeil, "by its rotatory movements it acts 

 just like the screw of a steamer in driving the animal forwards, while 

 by its upward or downward strokes it enables it to sink below or 

 ascend above the surface. The force located in the tail may be 

 estimated from the fact that one stroke of ft can shatter a stout 

 boat." 



The fin-like fore-limbs are the steering gear of the Whale, and 

 as all the parts of these fore-limbs are strongly united, there being 

 no joints excepting at the shoulder, the limb works like a piece of 

 wonderful machinery, and the pliancy of the whole body admirably 

 assists the action of the fore-limbs and the tail. 



The fat in which the body is enveloped naturally lightens the 

 weight of the body in the water, as well as the oil which permeates 



