An Account of a Book

VII. An Account of a Book Entitled, Phalæologia nova sive Observationes de Rarioribus quibusdam Balænis in Scotiae Littus nuper ejectis, &c. Aut. Roberto Sibbald, Edinburgi in Quarto, 1692. The Author of that Excellent Book, Entituled, Scotia Illustrata; hath in this given us a Curious Specimen of the advance he hath made in the Natural History of that Kingdom; containing many Observations altogether new, and very well worthy to be known. In the Preface he proposes to treat only of such Whales as are found in the Seas of Scotland; and having prov'd from several Writers, that the Brittish Ocean was formerly frequented by Whales, he observes, that tho' the very large Whales, which were formerly found in the Brittish Seas, and were accounted the vastest in the World, seem since Navigation has been so much used in these Seas, to have retired to Greenland, yet there are still a great many smaller Whales, and some larger ones too, cast upon the Shores of Scotland every Year. He then gives the several distinctions of them; 1stly, Some are very large, CXX, CXXXIV Feet long, some of a smaller size down to XXIV, XVIII Feet, or less. 2dly, Some have only two Fins, others have a third upon their Back. 3dly, Some have a Pipe or Spout in their Snout, others have Nostrils. 4thly, Some have Teeth, others have horny Plates, in their Mouths. The Book is divided into Three Sections, in which he first treats of the smaller Whales, and so proceeds to speak of those that are larger. The First Section is concerning the lesser sort of Whales, both those that have a Spout, and those that have Nostrils, as well such as have Teeth in both their Jaws, as those that have them only in the lower. The Second Section concerns the larger Whales, which have Teeth only in the lower Jaw. In the Third Section we have an Account of those Whales, that have horny Plates in their upper Jaw; which Plates we in England improperly call Whale-bone. In the First Section he enumerates the several sorts of Whales that have Teeth, by way of Preface; and in the First Chapter speaks of the smaller sort of Whales, whereof he gives a large Description, as likewise he hath done of all; the rest that follow these, have Teeth in both their Jaws, by the English called the Grampus; they are voracious and fierce Enemies to other Whales, and it may be thought that their fury many times drives the large Whales upon the Shore: those have a Spout and Three Fins. The Second Chapter treats of a sort of Whales, that have Teeth only in their lower Jaw, and without any Fin on the Back, which have not been describ'd by any Author: these have Nostrils. The Third, of the least sort, of Whales, of an uncertain Class. He observes, That the Flesh of some of those being buried at the Roots of some Fruit-Trees, those Trees bore abundantly the next Year. In the Second Section he treats of the larger Whales, which have Teeth only in their lower Jaw. In the Preface he takes notice of two sorts; but that which has but one Tooth, and is taken for the Unicorn, not being ever seen seen in those Seas, the Author says nothing of it. He shews wherein the several sorts of the larger Whales that have Teeth do agree, and wherein they differ. In the first Chapter he speaks of the great Whales, with a very large Head, that have only two lateral Fins. These as all the rest of the Whales treated of in this Section, have a Spout. The length of them is from 50, to 80 Feet. The Oyl of these Whales is easily coagulated with Cold into a hard and white substance like fat, and is of great use in Wounds, Aches, and hard Tumours. In the Second Chapter we have an Account of the Whale with a large Head, that has a Fin upon his Back, and hookt Teeth in the lower Jaw. In this Whale is found the best Sperma Ceti, which lies both within, and on the outside of the Skull; and this last is sometimes two Feet thick. The Third Chapter concerns the large headed Whale with three Fins, that has straighter Teeth, that are plain at the end. This has been found to have a great quantity of Sperma Ceti, of the better sort. In the Fourth Chapter the Author gives us an Account of the Sperma Ceti, which is of two sorts; that which is found floating on the Sea, and that which is found in the Whale. He concludes this Chapter with the Vertues of it, and affirms it to be a true natural Sal Volatile Oleofium. The Fifth Chapter is concerning the Teeth of these Whales, where he proposes the Experiment of them in those cases, where the Horn of the Sea-Unicorn is so much commended. In the Third Section he treats of the large Whales, that have horny Plates in their upper Jaw, which he begins with a Preface concerning these Whales in general, and endeavours to prove, that there are no Whales, that have these horny Plates in both their Jaws. The First Chapter is of those kind of Whales which have but two Fins, both those which have a Spout, and those that have none; where the Author makes mention of one that was seventy Foot long. The Second Chapter concerns in general that sort of Whales that have three Fins, and Nostrils. In the Third Chapter we have an Account of the sort of Whale with three Fins, which has a sharp Snout, and folds in the Belly, and no Spout, but Nostrils. He observes, that the lateral Fins of it being excarnated, are like the whole Arm, with a Plate-bone, Shoulder-bone, Radius, and Vlna, Metacarpus, and Fingers. In the Fourth Chapter he treats of the Whale with horny Plates, and three Fins, which has the lower Jaw round, and much broader than the upper. This Whale has no Spout; but two Holes near his Forehead. In the Fifth Chapter we have some Account of a very large Whale of this sort, cast upon the Shoar of Boëna, in which they found no Sperma Ceti. The Sixth Chapter is of the horny Plates, the Folds, and the Oyl of this sort of Whales. The Oyl of them is us'd for making of Soap, &c. but not in Physick. At the end of the Book we have an Appendix, where the Author first makes a short Preface concerning those things things that are common to Whales; he observes, that they are great Lovers of Ambergrise, and that it is sometimes found in their Stomachs. Whether the Ambergrise is found only in those that have Teeth in their lower Jaw, or in some others, or in all, he cannot determine. He observes, that they all have a great Love for their Young, carrying them when they are very young, under their lateral Fins, and following them when they are bigger: which he thinks may have given the occasion of that Fable of the Fish that guides the Whale. The First Chapter of the Appendix is concerning the Fat of Whales. The Second of their Flesh. The Third of the Whale's Pizzle, and its Use in Physick. In the Fourth Chapter the Author gives us an Account of Ambergrise, of its Original, Nature, and Vertues. The last Chapter is of the Time when the Whales are seen. Of all these Whales the Author hath given an exact Description in the several Chapters wherein they are mentioned. LONDON: Printed for S. Smith and B. Walford, Printers to the Royal Society, at the Prince's Arms in St. Paul's Church-yard, 1693.