lOO 



NARWHAL, 



Place. Inhabits the northern feas, from Norway to within the JrSiic circle i 



plentiful in Davis's Straits, and the north o( Greenland: the natives, for 

 want of wood, make rafters of the teeth. Wormius fays, the flelh is a 

 deadly poifon. ? From the horn may be diftilled a very ftrong/^/ vola^ 

 tile : the fcrapings efteemed alexipharmic, and ufed of old in malignant 

 fevers, and againft the bites of ferpents. The ufe of it to the animal is 

 either as a weapon of defence, or as an inftrument to loofen and difen- 

 gao-e from the rocks, or bottom of the fea *, the fea plants on which it 

 feeds. It fwims fwiftly, and can only be ftruck when numbers happen 

 to be found together, and obftruft their own courfe with their teeth f . 



The tooth of this animal was in old times impofed upon the world as 

 the horn of the Unicorn, and fold at a very high price. The heirs of 

 the chancellor to Chrijlian Frifius oi Denmark, valued one at 8,000 im- 

 perials J. There is a magnificent throne made of this fpecies of ivory 

 for the Danip monarchs, which is ftiU preferved in the callle at Ro/en- 



' ' ierg. The price of this material was fuperior to gold. 



*■ Craniz Greenland, i, 11. f Il/id. J Mufeum Reg.Hafvies. 



CLASS 



