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MAMMALIA. 
proper names, it is the result of great constipation. The ordure 
of the cachalot, altered, modified, coagulated, and consolidated, be- 
comes ambergris. The origin of this substance, so much esteemed 
for its pleasant odour, is wanting entirely in dignity, and it is 
only natural that we should be surprised at its agreeable qualities. 
Lacepede observed that the excrements of many Mammalia, 
such as those of Oxen and of Pigs, diffuse, when kept for some 
time, an odour analogous to that of ambergris. He reminds us 
that Mollusks, on which the Cachalot feeds, exhale, during their 
lives, and even after they have been dried, an odour differing 
very little from that of ambergris. 
Where does the ambergris conceal itself P 
This matter is found in the intestinal canal of the Cachalot, 
under the form of from four to five balls, or irregular lumps. It 
is generally hard enough to allow of its being broken ; it adheres 
like wax to the blade of the knife with which it is scraped ; it 
softens and becomes unctuous under the influence of a gentle heat. 
Its odour increases under friction, or when it is exposed to heat ; 
its density is so slight that it floats on water. For this reason 
masses of ambergris are often picked up on the shore, or are 
found on the surface of the water. The ambergris taken from 
the intestines of a single Cachalot weighs 500 grains. But it 
sometimes weighs from five to ten kilogrammes. Large quan- 
tities of this sweet-scented and pungent matter are used in 
perfumery. 
Spermaceti is a concrete oil, which is fluid when the animal is 
alive. It hardens when exposed to the cold. It is white, bright, 
pearly, soft to the touch, and easily comes off in flakes. It is 
employed in the manufacture of wax candles for the luxurious, 
and in diverse preparations of perfumery and pharmacy. A 
Cachalot of nineteen metres in length has been known to furnish 
as many as three thousand kilogrammes of spermaceti. 
This natural product is contained in a sort of elongated canal, 
formed by the junction of the skull-bone with the facial bones. 
This reservoir is not less than two metres in depth below. It 
is, however, very distinct from the cavity which contains the 
brain, a cavity which is itself very small. 
The fatty, and, consequently, light matter, which surmounts the 
head of the Cachalot, seems to be a provision of nature. The 
