The Whalebone Whales lead a peaceful, happy life, though not without
dangers. The bitter cold of their northern home is nothing to them, for
are they not snug in a deep blanket of blubber? To obtain food, they
merely swim along with open mouth. These peaceful giants do not know how
to fight for their lives, like the Sperm Whales. So, when man came,
hunting the Greenland Whale for oil and "whalebone," he found an easy
victim.

They have other enemies, besides man. The Killer Whale is one of the
fiercest, swiftest terrors of the sea. It is tiny, compared with the
Greenland Whale, but much quicker and more cunning. Several Killers band
together and spring to the attack at the same time, Like wild cats, they
dash at the poor helpless Whale, and tear its sides with terrible curved
teeth.

The Sword-fish and Thresher Shark also help to destroy this harmless
giant of the deep. The Sword-fish pierces it with his pointed "beak";
the other slashes the sides of the wretched Whale with its long tail. It
is said, by those who have seen such a fight, that the Thresher's tail
cuts deep into the Whale's sides.

[Illustration: THE SUCKING FISH]

In all parts of the wide sea there are Whales of one kind or another. We
have looked briefly at the Sperm and Greenland Whales, and the Killer
Whale. Besides these there is the Narwhal, or Sea-unicorn, with a
wonderful tusk, which is really a big tooth, some six feet long. Another
one, the Bottle-nose Whale, has a long, narrow "beak," and is sometimes
washed up on our shores. The Pilot Whale is also seen in herds in our