Cetacea.- 



-MAJLMALIA.- 



-BiLiENID*. 



197 



Kix hundred and fifty vessels, tonnage two hundred 

 thousand tons, and manned by seventeen thousand five 

 hundred men. In 1848 the number was slightly under 

 this estimate, though including one-tenth of the entire 

 slu'pping of the United States. The social importance 

 of tiiis fisliery will bo at once appreciated, when it is 

 stated that, about twenty years ago, it was estimated 

 that as many as seventy tliousand persons in the United 

 States derived their chief employment and subsibtence, 

 in one way or another, from the whale fisheries ; and 

 the number so deeply interested in them must be even 

 greater at present. Other countries, besides Britain 

 and America, have but a small share of these profits : 

 some sixty or seventy vessels from French, German, 

 and Danish ports, make up the number of whalers. It 

 must not be forgotten, however, that the indefatigable 

 Hollanders had at one time a lion's share of the whole 

 fishery to themselves — as long ago as 1680 there were 

 fully two hundred and sixty ships, and fourteen thou- 

 sand Dutchmen employed in the trade — nor that the 

 first professional whalemen and original harpooners 

 were Biscayans." 



We have tlius diverted somewhat from the im- 

 mediate subject-matter of our description, in order 

 to convey some adequate idea of the immense quan- 

 tities of oil yielded by the Cetacea, which in pro- 

 portion to tlie blubber itself, is as three to four. Slost 

 of tlie oil is derived from this source, but it should 

 also be mentioned that the cellular tissue of the tongue 

 and the interior of the large bones, especially those of 

 the lower jaw, liliewise contain a large quantity of oil. 

 The fatty matter termed spermaceti, which is found 

 only in a particular group of whales, is derived chiefly 

 from the head of these animals. According to John 

 Hunter, " the purest spermaceti is in the smallest and 

 least ligamentous cells; it lies above the nosti'il, all along 

 the upper part of the head, immediately under the skin 

 and adipose membrane. These cells resemble those 

 which contain the common fat m the other parts of the 

 body nearest the skm. That which lies above the roof 

 of the mouth, or between it and the nostril, is more 

 intennixed with a ligamentous cellular membrane, and 

 lies in chambers whose partitions are perpendicular. 

 These chambers are smaller the nearer to the nose, 

 becoming larger and larger towards tlie back part of the 

 head, where the spermaceti is more pure. This sper- 

 maceti, when extracted cold, had a good deal the 

 appearance of the internal structure of a water melon, 

 and is found in rather solid lumps." Chemically speak- 

 ing, it closely resembles the substance termed choles- 

 terine, and like it, after being meked, concretes into 

 thin crystalline laminaj of a silvery hue and peculiar 

 greasy feel. In addition to these matters there is yet 

 another substance found in the intestines of Cetacea, 

 which, though not much sought after, is nevertlieless 

 of considerable value. This is ambergris. It is a 

 concretionary formation, of a mottled, grepsh colour ; 

 and wlien split open, it is found to contain a large num- 

 ber of the horny beak-like processes of cuttle-fishes, 

 derived from the cephalopodous molluscs, on whicli the 

 spermaceti whales delight to feed. It has a peculiar 



strong, diflfusible odour, and when pure is soft and 

 wa.xy on section ; chemically speaking, it consists of a 

 fatty substance or principle termed ambreine. Amber- 

 gris is used to impart an agreeable flavour to certain 

 wines, and one or two grams, mLxed and triturated mth 

 sugar, is sufficient to flavour a hogshead of claret. 



The special organs of sense in Cetacea are constructed 

 on the same plan as those of terrestrial quadrupeds, 

 but, nevertheless, exhibit several peculiarities adapted 

 to their aquatic habits. These are particularly notice- 

 able in the organs of hearing and vision. Externally 

 there is no auricular appendage, and the meatus audi- 

 torius is only represented liy a very small aperture, 

 scarcely large enough to admit the introduction of a 

 small crow-quill. Internally, the essential part of 

 the auditory apparatus, including the ossicles, are 

 invested by an osseous framework distinct from the 

 ordinary bones of the cranium which inclose the 

 organs of hearing in other Mammalia. The osseous 

 capsule consists of tvio distinct portions inclosing tlie 

 labjTinth and tympanum. The tj-mpanic bone is 

 particularly hard, and very largely developed, having 

 commonly a more or less kidney-shaped outline. This 

 part is usually called the ear-bone, and owing to its 

 density and power of resisting decay and disintegration, 

 we find it very perfectly preserved in the tertiary 

 marine deposits along the Sufiblk coast, where multi- 

 tudes of them are found associated with other water- 

 worn osseous fragments in the phosphatio pseudo- 

 coprohtic beds. Some specimens in our possession, 

 evidently belonging to a species of porpoise, are very 

 highly silicified, the petrous or labyrinthic bone remain- 

 ing in situ, and displaying very clearly the spiral 

 groove of tlie cochlea and the semicircular canals. As 

 to die capacity of hearing enjoyed by Cetacea, much 

 difference of opinion exists — the excellent authority, 

 Scoresby, averring that they are not roused even by 

 the report of a cannon; whilst others, who have also 

 been engaged in whale-fisliery expeditions, state that 

 their powers both of healing and vision are sufficiently 

 acute to render the approacli of the harpooneib at aU 

 times difficult and sometimes unsuccessful. The eye 

 is chiefly remarkable for the great thickness of its 

 external or sclerotic coat, an arrangement calculated to 

 maintain in its integrity the eUipsoid fonn of the crys- 

 talline lens and vitreous humour, wliich would other^vise 

 yield to the pressure of the aqueous medium in which 

 the animal swims. Ordinary whales have no true 

 lachrymal glands, but these organs are present in the 

 herbivorous cetacea, which latter are also furnished 

 with a thhd eyelid or nictitating membrane. The brain 

 of all the Cetacea is well formed, and provided with 

 numerous convolutions. Though of large size in itself, 

 it is remarkably small as compared with the hulk of the 

 body, representing by weight in the common mysticete 

 only the one three-thousandth part of the entire ani- 

 mal. The cerebellum is comparatively bulky; whilst, 

 of the nerves which proceed from the base of tlie 

 brain, the most remarkable are those which pass to the 

 organ of hearing — their conspicuity being especially 

 manifested in tlie dolphins. 



