394 Afr. Hunter’s Observations on the 
It is the adipofe covering from all of the Whale kind that 
is brought home in fquare pieces, called flitches, and which, 
by being boiled, yields the oil on expreflion, leaving the cellular 
membrane. When thefe flitches have become in fome degree 
putrid, there iflfues two forts of oil; the firfl: is pure, the laft 
feems incorporated with part of the animal fubftance, which 
has become eafy of folution from its putridity, forming a kind 
of butter. It is undtuous to the touch, ropy, coagulates or 
becomes harder by cold, fwims upon water, not being foluble 
in it ; and the pure oil, feparating in the fame manner from 
this, fwims above all. 
/ 
What remains, after all the oil is extracted, retains a good 
deal of its form, is almoff wholly convertible into glue, and is 
fold for that purpofe. 
The cellular, or rather what fhould be called the uniting 
membrane in this order of animals, is fimilar to that in the 
quadruped ; we find it uniting mufcie to mufcle, and mufcle 
to bone, for their eafy motion on one another. 
The cellular membrane, which is the receptacle for the oil 
near the furface of the body is in general very different from 
that in the quadruped, as has been already obferved. 
Of the Skm . 
The covering of this order of animals confiffs of a cuticle 
and cutis. 
The cuticle is fomewhat fimilar to that on the foie of the 
foot in the human fpecies, and appears to be made up of a 
number of layers, which feparate by flight putrefaction ; but 
this I fufpedt arifes in fome degree from there being a lucceffion 
of cuticles formed. It has no degree of elafficity or toughnels, 
4 but 
