MEMOIR OF JOHN HUNTER. 
61 
'si somehow found opportunities of minutely exa- 
ii'ining tlie Porpoise, two Grampuses, a Bottle-nosed 
hale, and the Balcena rosirata of Fabricius. The 
^aige Whalebone Whale, the Spermaceti Whale, and 
j 's Narwhal, had also fallen under his inspection. 
^oine of these,” he remarks, “ I have examined 
"'i.h accuracy, whilst others I have only examined 
'll part. Having thus acquired a general knowledge 
*1 the whale tribe, I have been enabled to form a 
jii'arable idea of the whole and a popular epitome 
n ntnbodies in the subsequent parts of the communi- 
t'^tion. He comments on their being mammalia, 
*"ii| yet aquatic animals, on the mode in which 
11' internal structure is modified to suit their exter- 
Ual 
nn'gencies, on their shape, general figure, and ap- 
|j'''^.'iiiice. He then gives a distinct description of 
j Osseous structure, the tail, the fat, including a 
S disquisition on spermaceti, of the skin, their 
of CO 
tfil 
ih, 
collecting food, their teeth and whalebone, 
account of which is excellent ; then the whole of 
fir 
I'lscera, the windpipe and blowholes, forming 
1- best account we have seen ; the brain and the 
oi'al organs of sense. The paper is accompanied 
1 illustrative drawings, and as for many years it 
® tbe best description, so is it much prized even 
'•le present day. 
^ •'^bout this time honours were showered thick 
''n Mr Hunter. He was elected Fellow of the 
ibe^A^ ^loioi'y of Science at Gottenburgh, and of 
aierican Philosophical Society, and also of both 
