THE SPERM WHALE. 
49 
frequently attacked, and this is supported by the fact of 
a portion of the sword of one of these animals having 
been found imbedded in the side of a whale stranded on 
the coast of Yorkshire, and which was probably broken 
off by the violent struggles between them. 
There is also an animal called a “ thresher , 55 which is 
described by whalers, but which I have never seen, 
although I have observed hundreds of sword-fish while 
off the coast of Peru, and also in other parts of the world. 
It is said by whalers, that the “thresher 55 and the 
sword-fish attack the whale in conjunction, the latter of 
which goad him from below, while the first leaps out of 
the water, and falls upon him from above-— the attack 
thus intimidating the whale, and giving an opportunity 
to the sword-fish to inflict his wounds ; but for what 
purpose I am at a loss to conjecture, for I am not aware 
that the latter has any power of devouring the whale 
after his death, were he even able to cause it. Never 
theless, a gentleman in whose veracity I have great confix 
dence, informed me that he once witnessed an attack of 
this kind, which took place while he was sailing along 
the coast of Peru. 
He stated, that he had been observing a sperm whale 
during the time it had remained at the surface to breathe, 
which after it had performed went through the evolution of 
“peaking 55 its flukes in the usual manner and disappeared. 
As it was a large whale, and as he knew it was likely to 
remain under water for a considerable time, he scarcely 
expected to see it again. However, in this he was 
mistaken ; for after it had disappeared only for a few 
D 
