MAMMALS OF BERMUDA. 153 
It is more than probable that this whale rarely proceeds farther south 
in the West Atlantic than the latitude of the Bermudas, and that it pos- 
sibly visits those islands merely for the purpose of bringing forth its 
young; a theory not unsupported by fact, when we find that the majority 
of whales taken consist of females and cubs. 
Family PHYSETERID A. 
PHYSETER MACROCEPHALUS, L. 
Sperm Whale ; Spermaceti Whale; Trompe Whale. 
- This species can hardly be considered as more than a casual visitant 
to Bermudian waters, for it is only at intervals of a few years that the 
islanders have the good fortune to capture one. . 
The first authentic account we have of this species being found at 
the Bermudas is in the “‘Constitucons and Instructions to Mr. Daniel 
Tucker now chosen Deputie Gounor for the Somer Islands given by the 
Gouenor and Companie of the Cittye of London for the said Planta- 
con” (Date 1616). 
“Theise kind of whales we understand by theire description wch have 
seen them are called Trompe Whales, at whose places of resort there is 
ever found greate store of Ambergreece, the oyle will be as hard as tal- 
lowe, when yt is made, but yet very good for many uses, lett yt be care- 
fully casked up by ytself, without any other whale oyle of other kinds 
to be mixed with it. Also that kind of whale yieldeth great store of 
Spermacety weh lyeth in the head, lett that also be carefully reserved 
by ytself, and put into Caske marked for Spermaceti whither yt be thin 
or thicke, we will trye it and refine yt when yt shall come hither and doe 
well observe that puttinge up the oyle the coopers may make the caske 
very tight, for leakedge by putting Bullrushes into the ioynts, for wch 
"vse we have sent hence store by theise shipps.: 
“Those Trompe Whales are observed to have noe fins in their throats 
as some other small whales have, but they have in some of theire inward 
pts great store of Ambergreece congealed, weh they have not as yet 
cast out, we pray that you have a care that when any whale is opened 
you would yourselfe attend or cause some other to see yt searched 
thoroughly, that neither by negligence or fraud we may be deprived of 
that hope.” 
Of late years very few have been taken. One in May, 1863, of the 
goodly length of 47 feet was captured, and again on June 19, 1869, an- 
