CHAPTER 74. The Sperm Whale’s Head—Contrasted View.
This chapter examines two whale heads hanging from the Pequod’s side—the Sperm Whale and the Right Whale. These represent the two extremes of whale varieties and the only species regularly hunted by man. The chapter invites readers to study practical cetology by stepping across the deck to compare these specimens, as their differences are mainly observable in their heads.
Sperm and Right Whale as Key Hunted Leviathans
The Sperm Whale and the Right Whale stand as the most noteworthy of the grand order of folio leviathans. To the Nantucketer, these two species present the extreme ends of all known whale varieties. Crucially, they are the only whales regularly hunted by mankind, making them essential subjects for cetological study.
General Head Contrast of Sperm and Right Whales
The heads of both whales are notably massive, yet a striking contrast emerges between them. The Sperm Whale’s head possesses a certain mathematical symmetry that the Right Whale’s head notably lacks. The Sperm Whale’s head shows more character and conveys an air of “pervading dignity,” further enhanced by its pepper-and-salt coloring at the summit—signs of advanced age that earn this whale the technical designation of a “grey-headed whale.”
Whale Eye Position and Vision Limits
The whale’s eyes are positioned far back on the sides of the head, low down near the angle of the jaw. These lashless eyes appear out of proportion to the massive head, resembling a young colt’s eye. This peculiar sideways positioning creates a significant limitation: the whale can never see objects directly ahead or directly astern. Like a man viewing the world through his ears, the whale can only command approximately thirty degrees of vision in advance and thirty degrees behind the straight side-line of sight.
Whale Divided Visual Perception
Unlike most animals whose eyes blend their visual power to produce a single unified picture, the whale’s eyes are separated by many cubic feet of solid head—a mass that towers between them like a mountain separating two valley lakes. This separation ensures each eye imparts entirely distinct impressions to the brain. The whale therefore sees one distinct picture on one side and another on the opposite side, with profound darkness between. While man views the world through a sentry-box with joined window sashes, the whale has two separate windows that sadly impair its overall view.
Whale Ear Anatomy and Species Differences
The whale’s ear proves as curious as its eye. For the uninitiated, the ear is nearly impossible to discover even after hours of searching, as it has no external leaf whatsoever. The ear opening barely admits a quill, positioned slightly behind the eye. An important distinction exists between the two species: while the Sperm Whale’s ear has an external opening, the Right Whale’s ear is entirely covered by a membrane, making it imperceptible from outside.
Sperm Whale Mouth Interior
When the Sperm Whale’s head is canted bottom-up and examined from above, the interior of the mouth presents a surprisingly beautiful and elegant appearance. The mouth’s interior is lined with a glistening white membrane, glossy as bridal satins, creating an unexpected contrast to the whale’s fearsome reputation.
Sperm Whale Lower Jaw Structure and Dangers
The lower jaw of the Sperm Whale resembles the long, narrow lid of an immense snuff-box, with the hinge at one end rather than the side. When pried open to reveal its rows of teeth, it presents a terrific portcullis-like appearance. In the water, a sulky whale may be seen floating with its fifteen-foot jaw hanging straight down at right angles to its body—reminiscent of a ship’s jib-boom. This dispirited whale, with relaxed jaw hinges, becomes a reproach to its tribe. The teeth have proven fatal to many fishermen upon whom they fall with impaling force.
Sperm Whale Tooth Extraction and Jaw Processing
The lower jaw, being easily unhinged by experienced workers, is hoisted on deck for processing. Queequeg, Daggoo, and Tashtego—described as accomplished dentists—set to extracting the ivory teeth. They lance the gums with cutting-spades, then lash the jaw to ringbolts while using tackles rigged from aloft to drag out the teeth, much as Michigan oxen drag stumps from woodland. Typically, forty-two teeth are extracted from each jaw. The jaw is subsequently sawn into slabs and stored like joists for building construction.
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