The Nut

           IftheSpermWhalebephysiognomicallyaSphinx,tothephrenologisthisbrainseemsthatgeometricalcirclewhichitisimpossibletosquare.

           Ininfull-growncreaturetheskullwillmeasureatleasttwentyfeetinlength.Unhingethelowerjaw,andthesideviewofthisskullisasthesideofamoderatelyinclinedplanerestingthroughoutonalevelbase.Butinlifeaswehaveelsewhereseenthisinclinedplaneisangularlyfilledup,andalmostsquaredbytheenormoussuperincumbentmassofthejunkandsperm.Atthehighendtheskullformsacratertobedthatpartofthemass;whileunderthelongfloorofthiscraterinanothercavityseldomexceedingteninchesinlengthandasmanyindepthreposesthemerehandfulofthismonster’sbrain.Thebrainisatleasttwentyfeetfromhisapparentforeheadinlife;itishiddenawaybehinditsvastoutworks,liketheinnermostcitadelwithintheamplifiedfortificationsofQuebec.Solikeachoicecasketisitsecretedinhim,thatIhaveknownsomewhalemenwhoperemptorilydenythattheSpermWhalehasanyotherbrainthanthatpalpablesemblanceofoneformedbythecubic-yardsofhisspermmagazine.Lyinginstrangefolds,courses,andconvolutions,totheirapprehensions,itseemsmoreinkeepingwiththeideaofhisgeneralmighttoregardthatmysticpartofhimastheseatofhisintelligence.

           Itisplain,then,thatphrenologicallytheheadofthisLeviathan,inthecreature’slivingintactstate,isanentiredelusion.Asforhistruebrain,youcanthenseenoindicationsofit,norfeelany.

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