SHE COMMON \VHALi 



57 



AWat four yards diftant from each other appear 

 4hc eyes, externally not larger than thoie of an ox, but 

 conllituting a pretty large ball within. This pidlurefque 

 vifage is rendered trcnienduous by the large opening of 

 the mouth, which, when the jaws are extended, is no lefs 

 than eighteen feet wide*. On the back of this animal 

 there is no fin : but the two lateral ones are exceedingly 

 large ; and with them, a^ we have feea, it fupports its 

 young. The tail is broad, femilunar and liorizontal ; it 

 is of fuch vaft flrength,lhat by a ftroke of it upon the fiir- 

 f&ce, the water is fo much agitated, as to overfet a boat 

 if it is near. The penis is included in a ftrong fheath, 

 and is feven feet in length f . 



The colour of whales varies very much ; the back be- 

 ing in forae red, and the belly generally white. Some 

 are marbled with black and white, while others are en- 

 tirely black, and fome white. Their fkin is fmooth and 

 ■flippery, and their colours in the water are extremely 

 beavitlful. In the belly of one defcribed by Rondeletius 

 there was found no kind of filh, only a fort of mucuSj 

 foam, water, and fea weed. 



'ihe I'm FiJJj t. 



This fpecies is diflinguidied from the common whale 

 by the fin upon the back, placed low, and near the tail §. 

 It is fometimes found in the Briti/Jj, but is more fre- 

 quent in thofe tracts of the northern ocean, where the 

 Vol. III. H whale 



• Idem ubi fupra. | Britifli ZooJ. 



\ Le Gibbar. Brififon. Balsna Phyfaius. Ljnnsu» 

 $ Britifh Zool, 



