Chapter 37 32．Cetology

Captain Ahab was standing on deck just as Stubb was telling Flask his dream. He was intoxicated with the joy of sailing, and he shouted loudly, full of longing for another whaling journey that was about to start. "Sailors on the top of the mast, you have to keep your eyes open and look carefully. There is a big white whale around here. Don't let it go. If you see it, shout loudly." Captain Ahab shouted to the watchmen on the mast. Now that we have sailed on the boundless sea, everyone is excited. Seeing that we are getting farther and farther away from the land, we are about to disappear in the depths of the sea, and we can't see anything to rely on.

We went whaling. However, for many people on the "Pequode", this was a brand new thing. I understand quite well. It seems that it is necessary for us to seriously explain the cetaceans, so that everyone can understand what kind of animals the whales we are going to catch across the sea are. This thing is too indispensable. So far, cetology has formed its own relatively complete system, which is not an easy task. Of course, this is not to say that cetology has matured, far from it, because until now, various confusing classifications and unrecognized theories still exist. The reason for this is that among all the branches of zoology, cetology can be called the most complicated, the most extensive, and the most involved.

There are countless people involved in this subject. Just the names of people who have become famous and have published their own books can list a large list. This includes all kinds of people, from powerful people to ordinary people, from whaling veterans to newbies who have only sailed a few times, from land people to people who have actually gone to sea... … In short, the people involved in the study of cetology are very diverse. But what I want to introduce is the most recognized and authoritative theory in the whale academic circle. Even so, nearly thirty characters can be listed. However, among the nearly 30 people, only one in five or six had actually seen a live whale, and the rest were concluded by dissection or other methods on land.

Compared with those who have never been out at sea, the accounts of those who have seen live whales are much more credible. Among them, the most admirable one is Scobie. He has not only been out in the sea, but also a real whaler. From harpooner to captain, he was the most authoritative speaker of all scholars in the whaling world. However, his right to speak is limited to Greenland whales and right whales, and he knows nothing about sperm whales. For a long time, people have always maintained that the Greenland whale is the king of whales, and therefore the overlord of the sea, which can be confirmed in the works of many poets.

It is in the support of this view that Greenland whales have always sat at the top of the sea whales. In fact, the Greenland whale is not the largest whale, but people knew nothing about the sperm whale before. It was not until people knew more about the sperm whale that the Greenland whale was abolished.Sperm whales have become the new masters of ocean cetaceans. However, whether it is scientific writings or literary works, there are not many introductions or references to sperm whales, and there are only a few books about sperm whale life, and the weight is still very small. Therefore, most of the contents of sperm whales are still blank for us, and we have yet to discover and understand them.

It would be great if a skeleton can be established now, let alone a detailed introduction to the sperm whale, because later people can fill in the specific content based on this sketch. In fact, this should be done for all kinds of large whales. Although this is a very arduous task, it requires not only sufficient knowledge as a foundation, but also considerable practical experience. This is what I want to do. For a long time, I have visited many libraries, sailed all over the world's oceans, and dealt with various sperm whales, so I have sufficient conditions. However, there is still some preparatory work to be done, that is, to establish two basic points of view.

First of all, large whales are not fish. There is controversy on this point. Some people think that whales do not belong to fish based on the many characteristics of whales, such as double ventricles, lungs, ears, and female breasts. I have asked many people for their opinions, and they all disagree with the above point of view. In fact, I also insist on the original point of view that whales are also fish, but they are different from other fish. Second, how to define the big whale, that is to say, how to summarize its characteristics. I gave a definition, that is: A whale is a fish that spouts water and has a flat tail.

Although this definition is very simple, it is easy for people to understand, because it includes the most basic characteristics of whales, and it is the result of my careful consideration. A walrus also spouts water, but it's not a fish, it's an amphibian. Ordinary fish do not have flat tails and cannot spray water, so they are quite different from whales. Walruses and fish in general represent basically all marine animals that share a resemblance to whales. In this way, my definition basically distinguishes whales from other marine animals, and thus achieves the original effect.

Now we come to our grand plan of classifying whales. The whole group of whales, here refers to all kinds of whales in the world, I have divided them into three categories according to their volume, namely half-open whales, octacal whales and twelve-open whales. Thus all whales, great and small, fall within these three classes. There are six types of whales, namely, sperm whales, right whales, fin whales, humpback whales, razor whales and yellow-bellied whales. Among these six species, the sperm whale is their representative. The sperm whale can be said to be the king of ocean cetaceans, but its position was not discovered very early, so for a long period of time, it has been giving up its position as the king to the Greenland whale, which we have already said Pass.

In Britain, where whaling first began, ancient peoples had always called sperm whales Horn Whales and other names that now seem illogical. It now appears that the Sperm Whale is the prettiest, most majestic, and most valuable of all whales. When the sperm whale was unknown, it was always thought that the occasional brain from a dead fish came from a Greenland whale or a right whale, but this was quite wrong. At that time, the sperm whale's brain was not used to light lamps. Because it was extremely rare and valuable, it was only used to make ointments and potions, and it was only found in pharmacies.

It was not until the Sperm Whale was truly known that people returned this honor to it. Next, let’s talk about the right whale, which is the oldest of all sea animals and the first to be hunted and killed by people. Its oil, which is commonly called "whale oil," and not "cetacea," as that of the sperm whale is, is in fact an inferior oil, and, besides, its baleen is useful. It has many aliases, the most commonly heard is the Greenland whale, as well as the black whale, the big whale and the real whale, etc. Therefore, the true identity of the right whale has been made very unclear, and everyone has their own opinions. For the past two hundred years, right whales have been hunted by whalers, whether in the North Sea, the Indian Ocean or off the coast of Brazil. Although whalers from various countries still have some debates about right whales, the big differences have disappeared. The third type is the fin whale, which is a common whale found in all oceans. Because its spray is extremely high, it can be found from a long distance, so it is also called a high-spout whale. It also has a name called John Long Whale. The fin whale is somewhat like the right whale, but not so massive in girth, and not so dark in color, but a little lighter, almost brown. It had a marvelously large mouth, covered with knots, so that it resembled a great anchor-chain. Its fins are very large, three or four feet long, running perpendicular to the rear of the back, and forming an angle, so that they have a sharp peak, and their size can be seen even at many times when they cannot be seen. Fins, so this is the most famous sign that distinguishes it from other whales. This large fin often wanders alone on the ocean surface, casting a shadow and rippling around, forming a unique landscape. Fin whales don’t like to live in groups. They like to go alone, as if they are shy. They only surface when the sea is abnormally quiet, and then they are very vigilant, as if they want to avoid human pursuit at any time. Its strength and speed are astonishing, and on this point, the other whales give it three points. Because it also has baleen, it is sometimes counted as a right whale, because baleen is an important basis for distinguishing whale species, and there is a lot of knowledge about it, even in the cetacean community. The fourth type is the humpback whale, which is characterized by a very high back. When it is often chased to death and dragged into the port, it still seems to be carrying something on its back. Common to the northern coast of the United States, this whale was hunted by early American whaling ships. Its oil is not expensive, and it has whiskers, which are the same as the right whale. He is the most optimistic and playful of all whales, so he is the happiest. If you see more foam and white water than ordinary whales on the sea, it must be him. The fifth species is the razorback whale, which is a very rare type of whale, and I only saw it once near Cape Horn.It has a strange temper and a very withdrawn personality. It is not known whether it is because of fear or other reasons. It always avoids people, so even people who go out to sea to hunt whales rarely see it. Usually, only its back is exposed, like a tall peak, but most of its body is hidden below the sea surface, and few people can recognize its true face. The sixth is the yellow-bellied whale, which is also a rare whale. Its belly is sulfur-colored, and its name comes from this. I have only seen it once in the South China Sea, but I have not chased it, and I have never heard of anyone chasing it, because it is said that it will drag the whole rope away. I was far away when I saw it last time, and I didn't see its appearance clearly at all, so I can't tell you about it. There are many legends about this kind of whale. These legends are very strange. In fact, it is because everyone does not know about this kind of whale. The same goes for the Nantucketers, who are the most authoritative in the whaling world. Well, after talking about the above six kinds of behemoths, we have finished talking about the half-open whale. Now let's start talking about octavo whales. Octavia whales are those of medium size and generally come in the following five species, namely, orcas, black whales, narwhals, long-tailed whales and dolphin whales. Whether the orca is considered a whale or not is still debated. Here, it is included in the cetacean category. The biggest reason is that it does have all the main characteristics of sea beasts. Orcas are much smaller than the average half-open whale, usually fifteen to twenty feet long, with girths that vary by size. Orcas are sea animals with great collective spirit, and they usually travel in groups, mighty and mighty. Although they have a lot of oil and water on their bodies and are very suitable for lighting lamps, no one has ever hunted them down, because in the eyes of experienced whalers, orcas are often the leader of the sperm whale, and behind it, always There are sperm whales, so whalers generally save their energy to deal with the sperm whales later, and let the orcas go. The second species of the octagonal whale is what whalers generally call the black whale, which is a very common species, and is seen everywhere. It has a dark face, but it is always sneering, which makes people a little puzzled. The corners of its mouth are rolled upwards. I don't know if it is because of this reason, its food intake is quite large, which is unmatched by other whales. Its length is about sixteen to eighteen feet, and when it swims, it always shows its back, which is somewhat like a hook, and it seems to be a Roman's nose. People generally do not hunt this kind of whales, and only attack them when there are no sperm whales to hunt. The quality of the oil refined from this kind of whales is not very good, the oil is very thin, but sometimes the oil produced is very large. It is so large that it can refine more than thirty gallons of oil. The third type of octavo is the narwhal. As for its other name, it is also very strange, called the sharp-nosed whale. This kind of whale not only has a weird name, but it is also very weird, because its special horn looks like a pointed nose at first glance, and people often mistake it. It was about sixteen feet long, and had a figure somewhat like that of a seal; a creamy white body, with oval black spots all over its body. But the horns are more than five feet long, and some are more than ten feet, or even fifteen feet, so that they are as long as their bodies, which is simply unbelievable. In fact, the so-called horn is nothing more than a tooth that grew out of the mouth, but it has been elongated a lot.Interestingly, this long ivory-like horn is only on its left side, so that the whale looks very unbalanced, a little weird and clumsy. As for what use the narwhal is for its long horn, whether it is used as a weapon or something else, no one is quite sure.Some sailors have seen it use its horns as rakes when hunting, and some people say that it is used as ice picks to open the way when it lives in the Arctic. However, this is guesswork after all, the real purpose, or whether there is a real purpose. The use of it, no one can tell. In the animal kingdom, the narwhal can be regarded as an interesting special case. So what use is this horn to us? According to some seniors, this horn is the best raw material for an anti-poison potion, and the price is very high.Another use of it is to be made into a smelling agent, which is used to treat fainting and other diseases. In fact, its horn should also be a precious handicraft, and it should be extremely collectible. There was once a record that the Queen of England accepted such a gift and hung it in Windsor Palace for a long time. Narwhals produce very little oil, but the quality is very good. Unfortunately, this whale is only active in the Arctic region, and it is difficult to catch. The fourth species of the octaca whale is the dolphin whale. No one can say for sure about this kind of whale, not to mention some naturalists who have never been to sea, even the Nantucket people who fought in the South and North. in this way. According to my observation at a distance, I judged some characteristics. Its body size is about the same as that of an orca, but its nature is much more ferocious, which often makes the big half-open whale very helpless. I haven't heard of anyone catching it, and I don't know if it has oil. This is one creepy guy. The British call it "The Killer". The last octavo type is the long-tailed whale. You can guess its characteristics without mentioning its characteristics. Its tail is like a whip, which is its weapon. It often climbed on the back of the half-open whale, and when the half-open whale swam in, it waved its whip, as if driving the half-open whale forward. Like dolphin whales, fin whales should be considered the villains of cetaceans. After talking about these two villains, the octave whale is over. Now it's time to talk about the last big category, the twelve-carat whale. Compared with half-open whales, such as sperm whales, twelve-open whales are really nothing. People will really disagree when they see them. According to everyone’s habitual understanding, whales should undoubtedly be huge, so these little guys Should not be included in the whale family. The reason I'm still talking about them here is because they fit my two definitions of a whale, namely, a spout and a tail. First of all, let’s talk about a very common small whale. This kind of small whale can be seen all over the world, and it is always in groups, and it is always laughing, just like a group of children who are having fun . These little whales don't even have a name. I named them "Ula" based on their cheerful temper. Sailors always like this kind of small whales, because they can bring happiness to sailors. In the boundless sea, the fat Ula whales keep jumping out of the water, one after another, just like when Americans celebrate the National Day , Constantly throwing hats to the sky. According to the whalers, the appearance of the Ula whale is a good omen, which will bring good luck to the sailors, and God will bless you. The oil of this Ula whale is good, especially the oil extracted from its mouth, which is quite rare, because the oil tastes very good. I haven't talked about the appearance of Ula Whale, but you only need one sentence to understand it, that is: Ula Whale is a pocket sperm whale. The second zodiac whale is the pirate whale, which is as infamous as the dolphin whale and can only be found in the Pacific Ocean. It is slightly larger than the Urla whale, but much more cunning and murderous than the Urla whale, and has such a bad temper that if you annoy him, he will almost eat you. Several times I launched the dinghy to lift it, but without success. The third dodecai is the pink-billed whale, the largest of all dodecai and found only in the Pacific Ocean. For a long time, fishermen in the Pacific Ocean have named it "Little Right Whale", which is also its only nickname. The small right whale mentioned here is an independent species different from the right whale, not a juvenile right whale as shown literally. The origin of this name is because it often appears near right whales. This kind of whale is thinner than the Ula whale, and has a much better figure, even like a refined gentleman. It has no fins on its back, which is different from other small whales. However, it has a lovely tail and a pair of hazel eyes. What's interesting is that its whole body is divided into two colors, bounded by the fins on both sides, the upper part is black and the lower part is white, as if it just ran out of a flour sack, which is very funny. As for its oil output, it is similar to that of ordinary small whales. So far, I have given you a relatively complete introduction to the family situation of the sea beast, the whale. Of course, there are still whales smaller than the dodecal, but there is no way to classify them. In addition to whales with names and surnames, seeing is believing, there are also many legendary whales, but no one has seen them, so they can't be counted. Many of the above-mentioned whales basically belong to the category of mythology, and they are listed here for the time being: mallet whale, cable whale, stupid whale, South African whale, head whale, gun whale, skinny whale, copperskin whale, elephant whale, blue whale Whales, Ice Whales, and Geiger Whales. Don't think that these whales are small whales. In fact, they can be divided into half-open whales, octave whales and twelve-open whales according to our classification method above. Strictly speaking, there are many lists of whales similar to the above, but we cannot list them one by one. Before the end of my theory on whale taxonomy, I would like to declare that my classification method is not perfect, and there must be some incompleteness in it. Then let us work together to enrich and perfect it.