WHALEBONE is the name of the horny laminae, consisting of fibres laid lengthwise, found in the mouth of the whale, which, by the fringes upon their edges, enable the animal to allow the water to flow out, as through rows of teeth (which it wants), from between its capacious jaws, but to catch and detain the minute creatures upon which it feeds. The fibres of whalebone have little lateral cohesion, as they are not transversely decussated, and may, there fore, be readily detached in the form of long filaments or bristles. The blades, or scythe-shaped plates, are externally compact, smooth, and susceptible of a good polish. They are connected, in a parallel series, by what is called' the gum of the animal, and are arranged along each side of its mouth, to the number of about 300. The length of the longest blade, which is usually found near the middle of the series, is the gauge adopted by the fishermen to desig nate the size of the fish. The greatest length hitherto known has been 15 feet, but it rarely exceeds 12 or 18. The
breadth, at the root end, is from 10 to 12 inches ; and the average thickness, from four to five-tenths of an inch. The se ries, viewed altogether in the mouth of the whale, resemble, in general form, the roof of a house. They are cleaned and softened before cutting, by boiling for two hours in a long copper.
From its flexibility, strength, elasticity, and lightness, whalebone is employed for many purposes : for ribs to umbrellas or parasols ; for stiffening stays ; for the framework of hats, &e. When heated by steam, or a sand-bath, it softens, and may be bent or moulded, like horn, into various shapes, which it retains, if cool ed under compression. In this way, snuff boxes, and knobs of walking-sticks, may be made from the thicker parts of the blade. The surface is polished at first with ground pumice-stone, felt, and wa ter; and finished with dry quicklime, spontaneously slaked, and sifted.