OF THE SPERM WHALE. 
above, and behind the angle of the mouth, at the widest 
part of the head. At a short distance behind the eyes, 
are the external openings of the ears, of size sufficient 
to admit a small quill, and unprovided with any exter- 
nal auricular appendage. 
Behind, and not far from the posterior angle of the 
mouth, are placed the swimming paws, or fins, which are 
analogous in their formation to the anterior extremities 
of other animals, or the arms of man ; they are not 
much used as instruments of progression, but probably 
in giving a direction to that motion in balancing the 
body in sinking suddenly, and occasionally in support- 
ing their young. 
In a full-grown male sperm whale, of the largest 
size, or about eighty-four feet in length, the dimensions 
may be given as follow : — depth of head from eight to 
nine feet, —breadth, from five to six feet,— depth of body 
seldom exceeds twelve or fourteen feet, so that the cir- 
cumference of the largest sperm whale of eighty or 
eighty-four feet will seldom exceed thirty-six feet, — ■ 
the swimming paws or fins, are about six feet long and 
three broad ; the dimensions of the flukes or tail have 
been previously mentioned. 
In reviewing this description of the external form, 
and some of the organs of the sperm whale, it will per 
haps not be uninteresting if some comparison is insti- 
tuted between them and the corresponding points of the 
Greenland whale. In doing this, the remarkable adapta- 
tion of form and parts to different habits, situation, and 
food, will not fail to strike every one with admiration. 
