142 The Cuttle-fish or Squid 



Next, he must grow very rapidly. As I have 

 before stated, I think, it is the ahnost invariable habit 

 of the sperm whale to eject the contents of his stomach 

 just before death. All that I have seen die did so with 

 one exception, and that one died so suddenly that he 

 did not even go into the usual ' flurry,' or death agony. 

 And all the fragments ejected were of enormous size, 

 showing conclusively that they had been bitten from 

 monstrous Squid. What is more remarkable is that 

 I never saw entire ones vomited up, although I cannot 

 but believe that they, the cachalots, must swallow a 

 great many of medium size, say from six to ten feet 

 long or so, entire. I did once see a fairly comprehensive 

 collection of Cuttles and vertebrate fish in the stomach 

 of a stranded whale, and I see no reason to suppose 

 that there was anything singular about him ; but 

 with regard to the ejecta from the whale's stomach 

 while dying, in my whole experience it is as I say, 

 they were fragments of moUusca of the most heroic 

 size. 



Another fact, and that one of the most curious 

 connected with this strange creature, is the scent of 

 musk which he exhales. Most of us know that sepia, 

 the artist's sepia, bought in tubes or cakes, is musky 

 to the smell, but few connect it with the natural odour 

 of the Cuttle-fish. It shares this odour with the 

 alligator, musk-rat, and musk-deer, wherein is con- 

 cealed another mystery of Nature. But it must be 

 admitted, I think, although I do not know what 

 perfumers would say on the point, that none of the 

 musk obtainable from these animal sources has the 

 sweetly delicate scent of the Mimulus moschatus, or 

 garden musk, which makes our gardens so fragrant 

 after a shower of rain. Such as it is, however, the 

 scent of the Cuttle-fish undoubtedly gives its valuable 



