On the tusks of the narwhale

Abstract

The author acknowledges himself indebted to the laudable zeal of Mr. Scoresby, jun. of Whitby, for the greatest part of the information which he here lays before the Society. Although the tusk of this animal is not uncommon, its skull has very rarely been brought into this country; and hence there has been little opportunity to correct the erroneous account given by travellers on this subject, who have generally maintained that the perfect narwhale has two of these tusks, although it is very common for one of them to be broken off. This opinion respecting the existence of two tusks has gained a more general belief in this country, from the exhibition of a stuffed narwhale for many years in the Leverian Museum, but in which it is observed that the second tusk was artificially fastened in its place. The fact, says the author, is, that there is never more than one tusk in the full-grown narwhale, and this is always in the left socket; but there is also observable, on the right side, another socket, in which it is presumed that the milk-tusk had been contained, and afterwards shed.