102
-
THE SEAS
_
preventing its warm
from cooling, and to this end its
,
whole body is encased in thick coatings of fat—the blubber.
»
The whale’s nostrils are situated on the highest part of
the head, and it is through these that it spouts or bloWs.
'
_The well—known spouting of the whale is nothing more
than the act of breathing.
The air in the lungs becomes“
heated and steamy and is ej_ected with considerable force
»
when the whale rises to the surface, and condensing in the
cold atmosphere it appears like a spray of water.
Occasion'
;
ally the whale starts to blow before it has actually broken
5
the surface, in which case water is also driven into the air.
_
.
5
_
"
.
‘Mlll)=
w
—
-
FlG. fr.—Outline and Skeleton of Greenland Right whale (Balaena myst£cetu$)
'
b, blow hole ;_ ?, hip bone ; f, rudimentary thigh bone.
-
.
There are many different kinds of whales, but they may
,
be divided into two main" groups; the toothed whales and
'
,
whales.
_
_
.
_
-
The great Sperm whale is a good example of the-toothed
whales (Plate 42).' Although there are' no teeth in the
.:
of the Sperrrl whale, or Cachalot, the lower'jaw‘
_
'
is well arfned with twenty to twenty-ve pairs of very sharp -
.
teeth.
These teé'th are most necessary for it feeds on a
very formidable pr'ey, the giant cùttleshes
squids. ,
‘
]udging by_the taste of the small Common sqüid Which is
_
eaten on the Continent, the whale »must feed on tastÿ
mOrse_ls, 'but it has to capture & fears0me monster bef0reit
‘