Cetology of Moby-Dick

The cetology of Moby-Dick is Ishmael's zoological classification of whales. Although a work of fiction, Melville included sequences of chapters concerned largely with a pseudo-objective discussion of the properties of whales. The observations, based on a list of sources in addition to Melville's own experiences in whaling in the 1840s, include observations of various species from the order of Cetacea. These chapters are the most likely to be omitted in abridged versions of the novel.

Description

Ishmael's observations are not a complete scientific study, even by standards of the day. Nevertheless, because of the general lack of knowledge about whales in the middle 19th century, the taxonomy in the novel provides a glimpse of the knowledge of whales by the whaling fleet and naturalists of the era.

Ishmael somewhat famously asserts in the novel that the whale is a "spouting fish with a horizontal tail". His use of the word "fish" here, however, is not meant a denial of the mammalian characteristics of the order Cetacea, but rather simply as an ad hoc definition as an animal that dwells in the sea. He attempts a taxonomy of whales largely based on size, based on his assertion that other characteristics, such as the existence of a hump or baleen, make the classification too confusing. Borrowing an analogy from publishing and bookbinding, he divides whales into three "books", called the Folio Whale (largest), Octavo Whale and the Duodecimo Whale (smaller), represented respectively by the sperm whale, the orca (which he calls the grampus) and the porpoise. Each such book is then divided into "chapters" representing a separate species.

By the current taxonomy of Cetacea, the classification in Moby-Dick is inaccurate and incomplete as well, presenting only a fraction of the nearly ninety species of Cetaceans known today. In the case of some species, in particular the blue whale (which Ismael calls the "sulphur-bottom whale"), very little was known at the time. The classification is thus heavily weighted toward whales hunted for oil and other uses, and presents a picture of the common knowledge of whales at the time of the novel. Since Melville presents the study within a fictional context, voiced by a fictional character in the narrative, it is arguable whether or not Melville intended the classification as a serious scientific contribution. Moreover, Melville includes the larger members of the Cetaceans, as well as the porpoises (dolphins). It is quite possible that in the case of the Duodecimo whales (porpoises), Melville has unknowingly combined many disparate species into a single "chapter".

Ishmael's classification

The following is the classification introduced by Ishmael in Chapter XXXII, with the spellings and alternative names mentioned by Melville. He does not introduce the Latin scientific names, however, which are provided here as a cross-reference to the modern taxonomy. The Roman numerals shown here are those used by Ishmael for each "book" and "chapter".

I. The Folio Whale

These are the whales of the largest size.

II. The Octavo Whale

These are the whales of middle size.

III. The Duodecimo Whale

These are the species of the smallest size, which Melville generically calls porpoises.

Beyond the Duodecimo

Melville also lists "a rabble of uncertain, fugitive half-fabulous whales" of which he knew only by name and not experience. These were the Bottlenose Whale, Junk Whale, Pudding-Headed Whale, Cape Whale, Leading Whale, Cannon Whale, Scragg Whale, Coppered Whale, Elephant Whale, Iceberg Whale, Quog Whale, and Blue Whale. Their lack of description makes it difficult to know exactly which taxonomically correct whales these names might refer, if any. He notes that should any of them be caught and classified they could be easily incorporated into his system.

External links

Notes

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