Cetology

           Alreadyweareboldlylauncheduponthedeep;butsoonweshallbelostinitsunshoredharborlessimmensities.Erethatcometopass;erethePequod’sweedyhullrollssidebysidewiththebarnacledhullsoftheleviathan;attheoutsetitisbutwelltoattendtoamatteralmostindispensabletoathoroughappreciativeunderstandingofthemorespecialleviathanicrevelationsandallusionsofallsortswhicharetofollow.

           Itissomesystematizedexhibitionofthewhaleinhisbroadgenera,thatIwouldnowfainputbeforeyou.Yetisitnoeasytask.Theclassificationoftheconstituentsofachaos,nothinglessishereessayed.Listentowhatthebestandlatestauthoritieshavelaiddown.

           "NobranchofZoologyissomuchinvolvedasthatwhichisentitledCetology,"saysCaptainScoresby,A.D.1820.

           "Itisnotmyintention,wereitinmypower,toenterintotheinquiryastothetruemethodofdividingthecetaceaintogroupsandfamilies....Utterconfusionexistsamongthehistoriansofthisanimal"(spermwhale),saysSurgeonBeale,A.D.1839.

           "Unfitnesstopursueourresearchintheunfathomablewaters.""Impenetrableveilcoveringourknowledgeofthecetacea.""Afieldstrewnwiththorns.""Alltheseincompleteindicationsbutservetotortureusnaturalists."

           Thusspeakofthewhale,thegreatCuvier,andJohnHunter,andLesson,thoselightsofzoologyandanatomy.Nevertheless,thoughofrealknowledgetherebelittle,yetofbooksthereareaplenty;andsoinsomesmalldegree,withcetology,orthescienceofwhales.Manyarethemen,smallandgreat,oldandnew,landsmenandseamen,whohaveatlargeorinlittle,writtenofthewhale.

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