THE SOUND OF WHALES
Sm,—In your issue of July 9th, David Gunston, in his article, Humaner Whaling, states: "Whales are almost unique in the animal kingdom in having no vocal cords, so their struggles are endured in silence." Yet Masefield, in his poem Dauber, writes: Then from the hidden waters something surged, Mournful, despairing, great, greater than speech, A noise like one slow wave on a still beach, Mournful, and then again mournful, and still Out of the night that mighty voice arose: Out of the night of death arose the sound.
" Whales!" said the mate. They stayed there all night long, Answering the horn. Out of the night they spoke, They filled the darkness when the Dauber woke: The men came peering to the rail to hear.
Is there an explanation of this apparent contradiction?—Yours truly,
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