542 MR. R. BROWN ON THE CETACEANS [NoV. 12, 



along with the breath. When the whaleman sees his prey "spout- 

 ing red," he concludes that its end is not far distant ; it is then 

 mortally wounded. The Whale carries its young nine or ten months, 

 and produces in March or April. In the latter month a Hull ship 

 obtained a sucker with the umbilical cord still attached. It rarely 

 produces more than one at a birth, though it is said that in a few 

 instances two have been seen following the female. It couples 

 during the months of June, Julj', or August, and, as in most, if not 

 all, of the Cetacea, this operation is performed in an upright and 

 not in a recumbent position, as stated in some works, the authors of 

 which might be supposed to speak from personal observation*. 

 Equally erroneous, as far as I can learn, is the idea that it only 

 produces once in two years ; but on this subject, as on many others 

 concerning the Cetacea, it would be diflBcult to pronounce an opinion 

 founded on any decided knowledge. In the mouth of August I have 

 seen them in the position described, with the pectoral fins adpressed 

 against each other's body, and the male lashing the water with his 

 tail. The young suckles to a considerable age (probably one year), 

 and in order to allow of its getting convenient access to the mammae 

 the mother lies on its side for a time. Their love of their offspring 

 is so strong, that though the cubs are of very little value, yet the 

 whalers often make a point of killing them in order to render the 

 mother more accessible. During the period of procreation the 

 mother is much fiercer and more dangerous to approach than at 

 other seasons, when it is a timid, harmless animal. I once saw a 

 Whale, when the boats were approaching it, take the young under 

 one pectoral and swim oif by aid of the other. When the mother 

 was killed, the cub could not be made to le.ave the dead body of its 

 mother, though lances were continually run into it by the seamen 

 who were flensing the animal. When the carcass was let go, the 

 young one instantly dived down after it, nor did we see it again. The 

 sight, hearing, and smell of the Whale are all very acute in the 

 water, but are very dull out of it. The power of the Cetacea for 

 remaining beneath the surface of the sea seems to bear a direct ratio 

 to their size. Under ordinary circumstances, the Right Whale will 

 generally remain no longer than half an hour without rising again 

 to breathe ; the cubs are, however, more stubborn, and will often 

 remain more than three-quarters of an hour. Whalers and Eskimo 

 have many stories of Whales lying torpid at the bottom of shallow 

 inlets and bays for several days at a time ; though I have heard these 

 tales repeated by most credible men, yet I am inclined to hesitate at 

 receiving as facts anything' so contrary to physiological laws, and 

 so incapable of receiving any explanation of a reasonable nature f, 

 I have frequently knowu Whales dive and not come up for hours ; 

 but, unfortunately for the acceptance of these wonderful tales of 

 subaquatic being, these universally came up dead ! In nearly every 

 case it appears that, diving with tremendous impetus under the tor- 

 tures of the harpoon, they had struck their heads on the bottom 



* Dewhurst, ' Natural History of the Cetacea,' p. 20. 

 t Vide also Dewhurst, /. c. p. 36. 



