ADDENDA 483 



indebted to Mr. Frank Wood of the Society, will afford 

 a better idea of the unique quality of this work than any 

 further description could do. 



NARWHAL* 



In general appearance, the narwhal has considerable like- 

 ness to the porpoise or white whale, but in spite of its 

 greater size is both of more graceful outline and quicker in 

 its movements. The average weight is from Ij to 2 tons. 

 The length of the longest one seen so far is stated to be 8 ft. 

 9 in. The narwhal is chiefly to be found in the waters near 

 Greenland, and in Baffin's Bay and the Arctic Bay; that its 

 range should extend to the Arctic Basin is regarded as im- 

 probable, since the requisite supply of small fish is lacking 

 there. This is the more significant in the case of the nar- 

 whal because it needs nourishment several times a day, in 

 contradistinction to the shark, for instance, which can live 

 for several days without food. This also accounts for the 

 absence of the narwhal from the ocean waters. 



The tameness of these cetaceans is noteworthy. They 

 travel in bands and do not hesitate to come within five or 

 ten feet of a boat, displaying no signs of fear. If shot, a 

 narwhal will sink immediately and cannot be recovered; for 

 this reason the Eskimo hunters try to wound its respiratory 

 organs with a rifle-ball, for if injured in this way, the narwhal 

 will be forced to keep on the surface to breathe, and will re- 

 main quiet, and can thus be easily harpooned and secured. 

 From ten to fifteen men are needed to haul it ashore, when 

 it is cut up, and the flesh cached for use as human food. The 

 first layer of skin resembles kid-skin but tears too easily to 

 be available. Then comes from 1 J to 2 in. of black matter, 

 beneath which is a layer of white matter utilized by the 



*These interesting details have been communicated to the author by Dr. Henry levers 

 of Quebec, Canada. The information was obtained from a particular friend of Captain 

 Bernier, one long connected with the Hudson's Bay Company. 



