CETACEA. 



Greenlander attacking a Narwhal. 



Whale, diving. 



Narwhal's tusk firmly imbedded in it, came some few years ago under our own inspection. It is probably 

 only in defence of the- females and their young, unless indeed when attacked himself, that the male Nar- 

 whal thus rushes against ships or boats; for we utterly discredit the usual accounts of its causeless and 

 indiscriminate attacks upon any object which approaches within its range. Doubtless when wounded and 

 harassed it becomes desperate ; and its power, its velocity, and weapon combine to rsnder it formidable. 



The Narwhal is gregarious, associating in troops of from six or eight to twenty or more; and numbers 

 are often seen clustered together, both in the open sea and in bays and inlets free from the ice, forming a 

 compact phalanx, moving gently and slowly along. Under such circumstances the independent move- 

 ments of each individual are necessarily embarrassed, so that a considerable slaughter may be easily effected 



among them. When attacked at such a time, 

 the hind ranks, instead of turning against their 

 assailants, press upon those before, sliding their 

 long weapons over the gloss}' backs of their 

 leaders, and all becomes disorder and confusion. 

 Opportunities of this kind are welcome to the 

 Greenlanders, to whom the Narwhal is an im- 

 portant animal. 



When struck by a harpoon, the Narwhal 

 dives with great velocity, and in the same man- 

 ner as the Whale, but not to the same extent. 

 In general it descends about two hundred 

 fathoms, and on returning to the surface, is dis- 

 patched by a whale-lance, without any difficulty. 

 The blubber is about three inches in thickness, 

 and invests the whole body ; it affords about 

 half a ton of nil. 



The female Narwhal produces a single 

 young one at a birth. 



'.U<5> 



Whale, pursued by Sword Fishes. 



