68 MAMMALIA. 



upper surface is to be seen tte spiracle, or sole orifice of the 

 nasal cavities. There issue from this orifice little greyish inter- 

 mittent clouds. 



The enormous head of the Cachalot joins, without any appear- 

 ance of a neck, on to a massive conical body, terminating in a 

 large pair of caudal flukes or lobes, each of which is hollowed 

 out in the shape of a scythe. The end of one of these flukes 

 is often nearly five metres distant from the extremity of the 

 other. The animal's back is black, or blackish ; sometimes it is 

 shot with greenish or gre}' tints. The belly is whitish ; the skin 

 is smooth, and as soft as silk. When one considers the resistance 

 which the great vertical surface of this animal's muzzle must 

 oppose to its m.ovements, one cannot at once explain the rapidity of 

 its evolutions, and the quickness of the rate at which it travels. 

 The fact is, in spite of its enormous m.ass, the Cachalot goes at 

 about two leagues an hour, but it can double this pace. One then 

 sees it raising and lowering its immense tail ; the body follows 

 this movement ; it alternately uncovers itself, and then plunges 

 into the sea. At each impulsion it rises itself thus, from eight to 

 ten metres above the water, and sometimes it even throws itself 

 entirely above the surface of the Avater. According to Dr. 

 Thiercelin, the Cachalot can remain for a long while in the depths 

 of the ocean. It is sometimes forty, fifty minutes, and even an 

 hour before it reappears. It comes near shore and into shallow 

 places near islands at the full and new moons ; it regains the open 

 seas at the moment of the neap-tides. According to Dr. Thiercelin, 

 it lives almost entirely on Cuttles and other Cephalopods, which, 

 floating in the water almost without voluntary movement, 

 are unable to escape from such a voracious enemy. According 

 to Lacepede, on the contrarj^, the Cachalot greedily devours fish, 

 and especially Cycloptera ; and it pursues also Sharks, Seals, and 

 Dolphins. Furthermore, it never travels' alone. Bands of from 

 two to three hundi'cd Cachalots have been met with — wanderiag 

 hordes, each under the guidance of a chief that swims in front of 

 the rest, and is ready to give, by a peculiar cry, the signal for a 

 combat, or for a reti'cat. 



The mothers are very much attached to their young. On the 

 least sign of danger, they carry them off', and if they are attacked 

 they defend them to the death. If one of them has run ao-round 



