B a s k i
1 r0L1gh. The upper jaw much longer than the lower. The
Ih minute, difpofed in numbers along the jaws. The eyes
Iced at only fourteen inches diftance from the tip o f the nofe.
L apertures to the gills very long, and furniihed with ftrainers
jgdhe fubftance of whalebone.
■Thefe fiih are called in the Erfe, Cairban -, by the Scotch, Sail-
I from the appearance of the dorfal fins above water. They
Ihabit moft parts of the weftern coafts o f the northern feas:
Umunts fays within the arilic circle: they are found lower, on
lie coaft of Norway, about the Orkney ifles, the Hebrides; and
Ibn the coaft of Ireland in the bay of Balijhannon, and on the
fv?eljh coafts about Anglefea. They appear in the Firth in June
I fmall ihoals of feven or eight, continue there till the end of
and then difappear. They are moft inoffenfive fiih; feed
Iher on exanguious marine animals, or an alga, nothing being
fer found in their ftomachs except fome diffolved greenilh
>atter.
iThey fwim very deliberately with their two dorfal fins above
Ler, and feem quiefcent as if afieep. They are very tame or very
tpid •, and permi t he near approach of man : will fuffer a boat to
llow them without accelerating their motion, till it comes almoft
jithin contaft, when a harpooner ftrikes his weapon into the fiih
I near the gills as pofiible: but they are often fo inienfible as
Sot to move until the united ftrength of two men has forced in le harpoon deeper: as foon as they perceive themielves wounded,
ley fling up their tail, and plunge headlong to the bottom, and
jequently coil the rope round them in their agonies, attempting
Jo difengage themfelves. from the weapon by rolling on the ground,
C c for