OF CETACIOUS FISHES. 
53 
her offspring, die is uncommonly fat. The embryo, it is 
laid, when firft perceptible, is about feventeen inches 
long ; and the cub when excluded, is of a black colour, 
and ten feet in length *. The two breads of the whale 
are hid within the belly ; but when die l'uckles her 
young, die can produce them at pleafure, when they are 
protuberant about two feet before her body. The teats 
referable thofe of a cow ; while the colour of the breads, 
1 n fome is white, in others fpeckled ; in all, they are 
filled with a large quantity of milk refiembling that of 
land animals. 
From what has been faid concerning the procreation of 
shales, it appears, that thele animals, in fecundity, are 
fiar inferior to the reft of the inhabitants of the deep. 
•Nothing, however, can exceed their care and tendernefs 
lor their offspring when produced. The female whale 
c arries her cub with her wherever die goes ; and when 
purfued by the fiihermen die keeps it fupported between 
fiet fins. Even when wounded, die dill clafps her young 
°oe ; and when forced to plunge into the deep to avoid 
the llrokes of her purfuers die carries it down along with 
l‘ e t ; but riles fooner than ufpai, to allow it time for ref- 
piration. 
In defence of her young, the whale is faid to difplay a 
fiercenefs and courage far beyond what could be expefted 
^om an animal, fo gentle and inoffenfive in its nature. 
Waller f deferibes the conduft of a whale and her cub, 
w ten furrounded in an arm of the fea, in a manner 
w hich ftrongly dilplays the maternal tendernefs of the fa 
a himals. Being deferted by the tide, they were inclofed 
on 
Vide Goldfmith'o Nat. Hilt. Vol. 6. 
t Vide his Poem of the Summer Mantis. 
