OEDEE OF CETACEA. 37 



water, and announces its arrival. First one sees a black point 

 emerge : this is tlie end of its muzzle. Very soon the blow-holes 

 appear, then a part, more or less long, of the surface of its back, 

 tiU the tail ia its turn appears. 



At the same time that the blow-holes arrive at the surface of 

 the water, a double colum.n of white vapour, more or less thick, 

 rises in the form of a V to many metres in height. 



After this blowiag, the vents or blow-holes are again emerged ; 

 and during thirty or forty seconds the animal gUdes along level 

 with the water, in such a manner that the spectator can perceive 

 through the water which covers it the bluish tint of its body. A 

 minute afterwards, the black point reappears, then the blow-holes, 

 and then the blowing or spouting. 



This alternation of respiration and of progression at the surface 

 of the water goes on for eight or ten minutes. During this time 

 there have been seven or eight jets of liquid. The first is denser 

 than the following ones ; the last, which is as dense, and which 

 lasts as long as the first, announces that the Whale is gorag to dive 

 again. It does, in fact, rise a little higher out of the water 

 this time than at the preceding blowings, and at last has only its 

 tail out of water : it balances this many times backwards and for- 

 wards, and then descends iato the depths of the sea : these are 

 what are called les sondes — the soundings or diggings of the Whale. 

 It remains below for thirty or forty minutes, and sometimes for 

 more : it then returns to the surface and reproduces its irregular 

 and periodical spoutings. 



It is thus, says M. Thiercelia, that Whales pass their lives ; 

 sometimes on the surface of the water, sometimes below, day and 

 night, in fair weather or in foid weather, at aU seasons. For this 

 reason, some people have said that it never sleeps. If the Whale 

 sleeps — which it is certain that it does — these alternate movements 

 are made during its sleep, necessitated by the wants of respiration, 

 and must therefore be automatic, like the respiratory movements. 



When the Whale breathes, the noise of its breathing can be 

 heard at some hundreds of metres only, if it is in a calm state. 

 But when it is agitated by fear or by anger, the noise of its 

 breathing may be heard at a distance of some kilometres. Dr. 

 Thiercelin compares it to the noise of a strong column of air 

 driven by a very large pair of smiths' bellows into a great tube 



