SOME BRITISH WHALES. 27l 



blubber, as well as the " baleen." Nothing now 

 remains but to remove the lower jaws, which 

 are rich in oil, after which the carcase, or 

 " krang," is set adrift. A dead whale attracts 

 a whole army of birds, beasts, and fishes, which 

 keep up an angry contest until the carcase is 

 demolished. Even the White Bear condescends 

 to be present upon these occasions, and revisits 

 the spot daily so long as the flesh is sweet. 



The Whalers usually find their prey in the 

 " green water " belts of the ocean, and it is these 

 that furnish the huge Cetaceans with food. The 

 sea derives its peculiar tint from myriads of 

 tiny diatoms, which afford food to molluscs, 

 these again furnishing sustenance to the Whales. 

 The young are produced very early in spring, 

 though rarely more than one is observed follow- 

 ing a female. This is suckled for a year, and, 

 as the " baby " whale is never far distant from 

 its mother, the Whaler always endeavours to 

 strike a " sucker." The two exhibit the warmest 

 affection for each other, and, if the latter be 

 struck, the mother allows herself to be har- 

 pooned rather than leave it. The colour of 

 this species is almost black — the young, bluish- 

 grey — the under parts of a creamy-white. 



