•WHALE .TEHEE, 
S 91 
had been struck bj a harpoon, and on seeing rit 
expire under the wounds it had received, stretched 
itself upon the dying fish and yielded up its breath 
at the same instant. 
■ The period of gestation among the cetaceous 
fishes is said to be nine or ten months ; the female 
commonly produces one, and never above two 
young. During the time of her pregnancy, and 
particularly at the birth of her offspring, she is 
uncommonly fat. The embryo, it is said, when 
first perceptible, is about seventeen inches long ; 
and the cub, when excluded, is of a black colour, 
and ten feet in length. The two breasts of the 
whale' are hid within the belly ; but when she 
suckles her young, she can produce them at plea- 
sure, when they are protuberant about two feet 
before her body. The teats resemble those of a 
cow ; w hile the colour of the breasts, in some is 
white, in others speckled ; in all they are filled, 
with a large quantity of milk, resembling that of 
land animals. 
From what has been said concerning the pro- 
creation of whales, it appears, that these animals, 
in fecundity, are far inferior to .the rest of the in- 
habitants of -the deep. Nothing, however, can 
exceed their cayeand tenderness 'for their offspring, 
when produced. The female whale carries her 
cub with her wherever she goes ; and when pur- 
sued by the fishermen, she keeps it supported be- 
tween her fins. Even when wounded, she still 
clasps her young one ; and when forced to plunge 
into the deep to avoid the strokes of her pursuers, 
she carries it down along with her ; but rises 
sooner than usual, to allow it time for respiration. 
It is, however, but for a short period, that the 
young whales stand in need of this parental assist- 
ance : their growth is so, remarkably rapid, that 
it may occasion some doubt concerning the accounts 
