N A R 
it is queftionable whether it may not be fo in allj 
and that the deficiency in fome arifes from the dan- 
gerous encounters in which they are ahnoft conti- 
nually engaged. Yet it muft be owned, that of 
thofe which are taken with only one tooth, no 
focket or remains of another on the oppofite jaw 
are perceptible. Be this as it may, the tooth, or, 
as fome chufe to call it, the horn of the Narwal, 
is the moft terrible of all natural inftruments of 
deftruftion : it is perfeftly ftraight, about three or 
four inches in diameter, writhed in the moft curious 
manner, and tapering to a fharp point. It is 
whiter, heavier, and harder, than ivory; it gene- 
rally fprings from the left fide of the head, di- 
reftly forward in a ftraight line with the body; 
and it's root enters into me focket about one foot 
and a half. 
The extreme length of thefe inftruments has 
induced fome to confider them rather as horns 
than teeth; bur, in every refpeft, they refemble 
the tuflcs of the boar and the elephant : they fpring, 
as in thofe animals, from fockets in the upper 
jaw; they poffefs the folidity of the hardeft bone; 
and far furpafs ivory in all it's qualities. The 
fame error has led others to conje£lure, that as 
among quadrupeds the female was often found 
without horns, fo thefe inftruments of defence 
v/cre only to be feen in the male: but this opinion 
has been feveral times refuted by aftual expe- 
rience; both fexes having been found armed in a 
fimilar manner; though the horn is fometimes 
wreathed, and at others fmooth ; fometimes a little 
incurvated, and at others ftraight; but always 
ilrong, fliarp-pointed, and deeply infixed. 
Such powerful weapons of annoyance or de- 
fence, it might naturally be fuppofed, were demon- 
ftrative of the Narwal's ferocity; neverthelefs, it 
is one of the moft innocent and inofi'enfive inha- 
bitants of the deep. It conftantly and harmlefsly 
Iports among the other great monfters of the 
ocean, by no means attempting to injure them, 
but fecmingly expreffing a degree of pleafure in 
their fociety : however, when ofi^ended, it is terri- 
ble; and appears fenfible of the inftruments of de- 
fence with which nature has endowed it. 
The Greenlanders call the Narwal the forerun- 
ner of the whale; for wherever it is feen, the whale 
is fure to appear fhortly after. This may happen 
as well from the natural defire of fociety obferva- 
ble in thefe animals, as from both living on the 
fame kind of food. 
The habits and appetites of the Narwal and the 
great whale are entirely fimilar; being both defti- 
tute of teeth for mafti eating their food, they are 
obliged to live on infefts ; and being both peace- 
alile and harmlefs, they always rather fly than fhun 
the combat. The Narwal, however, has a much 
narrower l\vallov/ than the great whale ; and there- 
fore does not ftand in need of barbs, to confine 
it's food when once fucked into it's mouth. It 
is alfo much fwifter; and would fcarcely ever be 
caught by fiftiermen, but for thofe very tuflcs, 
which, at firft appearance, feem to be it's princi- 
pal defence. 
As thefe animals are fond of aflfociatiBg toge- 
ther, fo they are always feen in herds ; and, when- 
ever attacked, they croud together in fuch a man- 
ner, as to be mutually embarraffed by their tuflcs; 
by which means they are often locked together, 
and thus prevented from plunging to the bottom : 
it therefore feldom happens that the fiftiermen do 
not fecure one or two of their number, which am- 
ply compenfates for their danger and addrefs. 
NAT 
From the extraordinary circumftancc of the 
teeth of this fifti, it demands a diftinft hiftorj'; and 
fuch has been the curiofity of mankind, and their 
defire to procure them, that about a century ago, 
they were confidered as the greateft rarity in the 
world. At that period the art of catching whales 
was unknown ; and few of them were ever feen, 
except fuch as were accidentally ftranded on dif- 
ferent coafts. The tooth of the Narwal, there- 
fore, was afcribed to a very dift"erent animal from 
that which really produced it: it was fometimes 
dug up among other foffile fubftances; and this 
creature being utterly unknown, and naturalift^ 
being inclined to difcover a terreftrial owner, it 
was accordingly attributed to the unicorn, an ani- 
mal defcribed by Pliny as refembling the horfe, 
with one ftraight horn darting forward from the 
centre of it's forehead. Hence thefe teeth were 
confidered as a ftrong teftimony in favour of thac 
hiftorian's veracity, and were exhibited among the 
moft precious relics of antiquity. Even for fome 
confiderable time after the Narwal was well 
known, the deceit was continued, as thofe v/ho 
were poflTeflTed of a fingle tooth fold it to great ad- 
vantage. At prefent, however, the impofture is 
fully deteded; and the tooth of the Narwal is 
only eftimated according to it's weight and fize. 
NASUS. A frefii-water fifti common in the 
Rhine, the Danube, and other large rivers of Ger- 
many; though unknown in England; and called 
by different authors the fimus, favetta, and pla- 
ty-rynchos. In ftiape and colour, it ftrongly re- 
fembles the chubb; it commonly meafures about 
nine inches in length; and is a loofe, infipid-- 
tafted fifh. It fpawns in May ; at which time the 
males are rougher than at any other feafon; and 
their heads are fpeckled with white, like the com- 
mion rudd. At this feafon alfo they fwim toge- 
ther in immenfe fiioals, fo that two or three thou- 
fand have been fometimes caught in the Ipace of 
one night. 
NATIX. An appellation given by ancient 
writers to the Nerita. 
NATOLIAN GOAT. See Goat. 
NATRIX. The common, or water-fnake; 
called alfo the torquata, from the ring which 
encircles it's neck. It is thicker and longer tJian 
the viper; and though capable of fwimming with 
facility, and therefore often in the water, it is 
properly a land animal. It lays a number of 
eggs, generally in dung-hills, where they are 
hatched either by the warmth of the place, or the 
heat of the fun. 
This animal is commonly found in bufiiy places, 
and near waters. In winter it lodges in the banks 
of ditches, or about the roots of trees, where it con- 
tinues in a ftate of torpidity till the heat of the fun 
recals it to life and motion. It is entirely divefted 
of any poifonous qualities ; nor will it even bite 
when gently handled. It fubfifts on mice, frogs, and 
infefts; and fometimes on vegetable produ£lions. 
The back of this fnake is of a dufky earth- 
colour ; the belly is variegated with black and 
a blueifli white ; but near the head it is almoft 
wholly white, having only a few fmali fpots of 
black at the fides, the colour growing darker 
towards the end of the tail. The whole belly is 
overfpread with long parallel fcales, placed tranf- 
verfely; the back and fides are covered with fmail 
fcales, and variegated with feveral ftreaks and 
fpots of black; upwards of eighty tranfverfe lines 
run from the back to the fides ; and, exclufivc 
of thefe, there are tv/o other rows of fmalkr ones, 
m 
