STOVE.
CHAPTER XVIII.
Food of the Sperm Whale.—Manner of Feeding.—Swimming.—Breathing.—Herding.
In the many books which have been written of whaling voyages, we recollect nowhere to have seen a natural history of the sperm whale, and we trust it will not be uninteresting to the reader if we give it in the present volume. It can not but be instructive, at all events, and, being satisfied on that point, we shall proceed; and, first,
The Food of the Sperm Whale.—This food consists almost wholly of an animal called by whalemen “squid,” and by naturalists the “Sepia octopus.” This squid forms the principal part of the sustenance of the sperm whale when at a distance from the shore, or what is termed “off shore ground.”
Manner of Feeding.—It appears from all that we could learn from the oldest and most experienced whalemen that we met, and from the observations we have been enabled to make upon this interesting subject, that when the whale is inclined to feed he descends a certain depth below the surface of the ocean, and there remains in as quiet a state as possible, opening his long and narrow mouth until the lower jaw hangs down almost perpendicularly. The roof of his mouth, the tongue, and especially the teeth, being of a bright, glistening color, must present a remarkable appearance, which seems to be the incitement by which his prey are attracted, and when a sufficient number are within the mouth, he rapidly closes his jaw and swallows the contents. This is not the only instance of animals obtaining their prey by such means, when the form of their bodies, from unwieldiness or some other cause, prevents them from securing their prey in any other manner, or by the common method of the chase. The crocodile frequently employs stratagems of the like nature. Covering himself in mud, and lying still on the bank of some stream, he opens his enormous jaws, when hundreds of smaller reptiles, attracted by the mucus or slime which covers his exterior, become the easy prey of the artful machinations of their scaly deceiver.
The sperm whale is frequently subject to deformity of the lower jaw, two instances of which we have seen, in which the deformity was so great as to render it impossible for the animal to find the jaw useful in catching its prey, or even, one might have supposed, in deglutition; yet these whales possessed as much blubber, and were as rich in oil as any of a similar size we have seen before or since. In both these instances of crooked jaws, the nutrition of the animal appeared to be equally perfect. In both cases the jaws were bent on one side. It would be interesting here to inquire into the causes of this deformity; but whether it is the effect of disease, or the consequence of accident, would be difficult to ascertain. Old whalemen affirm that it is caused by fighting. They state that the sperm whale fights by rushing head first one upon the other, their mouths, at the same time, wide open; their object appearing to be the seizing of their opponent by the lower jaw, for which purpose they frequently turn themselves on their side. In this manner they become, as it were, locked together, their jaws crossing each other, and in this method they strive vehemently for the mastery. We have never had the fortune to witness one of these combats, but if it be the fact that such take place, we need not wonder at seeing so many deformed jaws among sperm whales; for we can easily suppose the enormous force exerted on these occasions, taking into consideration, also, the comparative slenderness of the jaw-bone in this animal. From these facts it may at least be surmised, with a great degree of probability, that the mode of procuring food as above stated is the true one; for with a jaw so much deformed, the animal would seem incapable of pursuing his prey, and would consequently gain but a very precarious subsistence, did not its food actually throng about its mouth and throat, invited by their appearance, and attracted in some degree, as is supposed, by the peculiar and very strong odor of the sperm whale.
The teeth of the sperm whale are merely organs of prehension. They can be of no use for mastication, and consequently the fish, etc., which he occasionally vomits present no marks of having undergone the process.
The manner of the suckling of the young ones is a matter involved in some obscurity. It is impossible, from the singular conformation of the mouth, that the young one could seize the nipple of the mother with the forepart of it, for there are no soft lips at this part, but instead the jaws are edged with a smooth and very hard cartilaginous substance; but about two feet from the angle of the mouth they begin to be furnished with something like lips, which form at the angle some loose folds, soft and elastic, and it is commonly believed by the most experienced whalemen that it is by this part the young whale seizes the nipple and performs the act of sucking, and which is doubtless the mode of its doing so.