CETACEOUS ANIMALS* 379 
suit of the head, which enables them to draw in the 
air without raising the mouth, and consequently 
the head out of water. These nostrils also serve 
them in expelling the superfluous water which they 
take in at the mouth every time they attempt to 
swallow their prey. They have also warm red 
blood ; and they produce and suckle their young 
in the same manner as the land animals. Their 
flesh is red, and bears a great resemblance to that 
of the horse : some of it is very firm ; and about 
the breast and belly it is mixed with tendons. 
They likewise resemble the quadrupeds in having 
moveable eye-lids, and true bones ; and in their 
power of uttering loud and bellowing sounds, a 
faculty altogether denied to the scaly tribes. 
The cetaceous animals have a smooth skin, not 
covered with hair. Their feet are very short ; 
those in the fore part of the body being formed like 
fins, and the hind ones united into an horizontal 
tail. The substance of the latter is so firm and 
compact, that the vessels will retain their dilated 
state even when cut across. 
The fat of this order of animals is what we ge- 
nerally term blubber : this is afterwards, by boil- 
ing, manufactured into oil. It does not coagulate 
in our atmosphere, and is probably the most fluid 
of all animal fats. It is found principally on the 
outside of the muscles, immediately under the 
skin, and is in considerable quantity. ’The blubber 
appears principally to be of use in poising their 
bodies ; it also keeps off the immediate contact of 
the water with the flesh, the continued cold of 
which might chill the blood ; and in this respect 
it serves a purpose similar to that of clothing to 
fhe human ra^o. 
