24 
FORM AND PECULIARITIES 
The head of the sperm whale presents in front a very 
thick blunt extremity, called the snout or nose, and 
constitutes about one-third of the whole length of the 
animal — at its junction with the body is a large pro- 
tuberance on the back, called by the whalers the 44 bunch 
of the neck immediately behind this, or at what might 
be termed the shoulder, is the thickest part of the body, 
which from this point gradually tapers off to the tail, 
but it does not become much smaller for about another 
third of the whole length, when the 44 small,” as it is 
called, or tail, commences ; and at this point also, on the 
back, is a large prominence of a pyramidal form, called 
the 44 hump,” from which a series of smaller processes 
run half way down the 44 small,” or tail, constituting 
what is called by whalers the 44 ridge.” The body then 
contracts so much, as to become finally not thicker than 
the body of a man, and terminates by becoming expanded 
on the sides into the 44 flukes,” or tail properly speaking. 
The two flukes constitute a large triangular fin, resem- 
bling in some respects the tail of fishes, but differing in 
being placed horizontally ; there is a slight notch, or 
depression, between the flukes, posteriorly— they are 
about six or eight feet in length, and from twelve to 
fourteen in breadth in the largest males. The chest and 
belly are narrower than the broadest part of the back, 
and taper off evenly and beautifully towards the tail, 
giving what by sailors is termed a 44 clear run,” — the 
depth of the head and body is in all parts except the 
tail greater than the width. The head viewed in front, 
as in fig. 2, presents a broad, somewhat flattened surface, 
