THE NARWHAL 
437 
to the effect, that the “horn” is useful in the light of an auger, with which the animal is 
enabled to bore breathing-holes through the ice-fields, whenever it finds itself in want of air 
beneath those vast frozen plains. But this theory is equally liable to the objection, that the 
females want to breathe as much as the males, and would stand in equal need of so indis- 
pensable an apparatus. 
That the “horn” is employed in some definite task, is evident from the fact, that its tip 
is always smooth and polished, however rough and encrusted the remainder of its length 
may be. 
The male Narwhal may perhaps use the tusk as a weapon of war, wherewith to charge his 
adversaries, as a mediaeval knight was wont to charge with shield on breast and lance in rest ; 
and if that be the case, the weapon is truly a terrible one. This conjecture derives some force 
NARWHAL .— Monodon momceros. 
from the fact, that a herd of these aquatic spearmen have been seen engaged in sportive 
pastime, crossing their ivory lances, and seeming to fence with them, as the white weapons 
clashed against each other. The play of animals, not to mention mankind, is almost invariably 
founded on the spirit of combativeness, and generally consists in a sham fight ; so that the 
Narwhal “horn” may probably be analogous to the tusks of boars and the horns of deer, and 
be given to the animal as an offensive weapon, wherewith he may wage war with those of his 
own species and sex who arouse his feelings of jealousy, or would interfere with his supremacy. 
The food of the Narwhal consists chiefly of marine mollusks and of occasional fish, but is 
found to be generally composed of the same kind of squid, or cuttle-fish, which supplies the 
gigantic spermaceti whale with subsistence. As the remains of several flat fish have been dis- 
covered in the stomach of the Narwhal, it was supposed by some authors that the animal made 
use of its tusk as a fish-spear, transfixing them as they lay “sluddering” on the mud or sand, 
after their usual fashion, thus preventing their escape from the toothless mouth into which 
the wounded fish are then received. However this may be, the force of the tusk is terrific 
when urged with the impetus of the creature driving through the water at full speed, for the 
whole combined power of the weight and velocity of the animal is directed along the line of 
