360 A DESCRIPTION OF 
other, which in general is sufficiently adroit to avoid it, 
immediately falls upon the whale, and buries its weapon 
in his sides. When the whale discovers the Sword-fish 
darting upon him, he dives to the bottom, but is closely 
pursued by his antagonist, who compels him again to rise 
to the surface. The battle then begins afresh, and lasts 
until the Sword-fish loses sight of the whale, who is at 
length compelled to swim off, which his superior agility 
enables him to do. In piercing the whale's body with 
the tremendous weapon at his snout, the Sword-fish sel- 
dom does any great damage to the former, not being able 
to penetrate beyond the blubber. This animal can drive 
its sword with such force into the keels of ships, as to 
bury it wholly in the timber. A part of the bottom of a 
vessel, with the sword imbedded in it, is to be seen in the 
British Museum. 
THE STURGEON (Acipenser sturio,) 
Sometimes grows to the length of eighteen feet, and has 
been found to weigh five hundred pounds. It has a long, 
slender, pointed nose, small eyes, and a small mouth, des- 
titute of teeth, placed beneath and unsupported by the 
maxillae ; so that when the animal is dead, the mouth re- 
mains always open. The body is covered with five rows 
of large bony tubercles, and the under side is flat ; it has 
one dorsal fin, two pectoral, two ventral, and one anal. 
