Reflective And Theoretical

The chapter examines the anatomy of the sperm whale's head, debunking the phrenological assumption that the whale's large head houses a large brain and relating the whale's vertebrae to human skulls.

This chapter delves into the physiognomy of the sperm whale, comparing its head to a Sphinx and discussing the structural complexity beneath its skull. The author challenges the validity of phrenology by revealing that the sperm whale's brain is much smaller than its head suggests, hidden amongst massive amounts of sperm and junk. It goes on to explore how the whale's brain is connected to its spinal cord and how the spinal cord remains of significant girth for an extended length of the body. Lastly, the chapter theorizes about the significance of the whale's hump, situating it in the context of phrenology as the symbol of the whale's indomitability.