■§d THE HAR-OVIIAZ.. 



It feems yet doubtful whether this extraordhiarj wea- 

 pon of this liHi grows naturally fingle or double in tne 

 animal. There is a (kull at prefent in the Stadlhouie of 

 j47?ij}erdam^ which is armed with two of theft teeth, 

 which demonftrates, that in fonae fubjefts at leaft, this 

 influment is double* : But thofe which are taken with 

 cne tooth, give no fort of indication of having been de- 

 prived of the other by any accident: there aj)peai-s no 

 focket, nor any remains of a fecond tooth in the oppo- 

 lite jaw ; all there is plain and even. 



This extraordinary inflrument generally fprlngs from 

 the upper jaw on the left fide ; into the focket of which 

 it reaches a foot and an half. It is ftriated, and twilled 

 in fpires, as we fometimes fee a bar of iron ; its length is 

 from feven to eight feet, and of the thicknefs of a man's 

 arm : It is of a white colour, harder and heavier than 

 ivory f . From the fize of this weapon, mofl naturalifts 

 confider it as an horn, rather than a tooth ; but it refem- 

 bles in every refpeft the tulles of a boar, or an elephant j 

 it rifes like them, from a focket in the jaw ; it is of the 

 fame flrong fubflance, and poUlfles the fame folidity. 

 Willonghhy regards it as the only real example of an uni- 

 corn afforded by nature ; and after a minute examination 

 of all the fubflances that are impofed upon the public for 

 the horns of the unicorn, he pronounces them impofi- 

 tions on the credulity of mankind J. 



This naturalifl had the greater merit in making a dif- 

 covcry of this nature, becaufe in his time the capture of 

 whales was not very freijuent, and the means of detec. 



tioii 



•* Goldfmlth's Nat. Hlft. vol. 6, 



•)■ Idem ibidfm. 



:;; Vlk Ichihyol, lib, ii. p. 43» 



