206 ACCOUNT OF A FIN- WHALE. 



The dorsal or largest vertebrae, were eight in- 

 ches in diameter. None of the others were laid 

 open so as to admit of examination. 



The animal was of the male sex. 



I regret that I had no opportunity of examining 

 the stomach, or any of the entrails, putrefaction 

 having proceeded too far. The whole muscular 

 parts of the body had completely lost their fi- 

 brous texture, and become putrid ; and the smell 

 was exceedingly offensive. 



In the common Greenland whale, the blubber is 

 from eight inches to one foot in thickness : In this 

 whale, however, it was, on an average, little more 

 than two inches thick. In the former, I understand, 

 it covers the thorax, as well as the back and sides ; 

 but in this whale, as already observed, there 

 was no layer of fat where the folds or sulci oc- 

 curred. The blubber was firm in texture, and 

 not unlike the fat of pork, when rendered soft 

 or transparent by heat. It does not appear to 

 be so subject to putrescency as the blubber of the 

 common whale. It rilled seven large casks ; but 

 was not expected to yield much oil, compactness 

 not being a desirable quality in blubber. A soap- 

 boiler accordingly, I am informed, bought the 

 whole for the small sum of L. 1 5 Sterling. 



I cannot help here observing, that the carcase 

 might, along with peat- moss, which abounds in the 

 neighbourhood, have produced, on Lord Meadow- 

 bank's principle % a quantity of compost manure, 



* " Transactions of the Highland Society of Scotland,'* 

 vol. ii. p. 138, tt seq. 



