SOME BRITISH WHALES. 273 



Cetacean which appeared in winter, another 

 for that seen only in summer. In proportion 

 to the body, its head is much smaller than that 

 of the Greenland Whale, and it is slightly less 

 valuable to the Whaler. Another curious point of 

 difference is that, whilst the more northern form 

 is free from parasitic pests, the skin of the Atlantic 

 species is invariably disfigured by cirripedes. 



Dr. Hartwig states that barnacles often 

 cover the whale in such masses that its black 

 skin disappears under a whitish mantle ; even 

 seaweeds attach themselves to its jaws, floating 

 like a beard, and reminding one of Birnam's 

 wandering forests. The Whale has many noble 

 enemies, but one of the vilest is a large sea- 

 louse, which adheres to its back by thousands, 

 and gnaws it so as to cover it frequently with 

 one vast sore. In summer, when this plague is 

 greatest, numbers of aquatic birds accompany 

 it, and settle on its back as soon as it appears 

 above the water to breathe. 



Driven as it has been to Polar haunts, the 

 visits of the Atlantic Right-whale to European 

 or British coasts, are much more rare than 

 formerly. When the southern whale fishery 

 flourished, the Bay of Biscay was a great resort, 



