The young males or “young bulls” go in large schools, but differ remarkably from the females in disposition, inasmuch as they make an immediate and rapid retreat upon one of their number being struck, who is left to take care of himself. They are also very cunning and cautious, keeping at all times a good look-out for danger. It is consequently necessary for the whaleman to be extremely cautious in his mode of approaching them, so as, if possible, to escape being seen or heard, for they have some mode of communication one to another, through a whole school, in an incredibly short space of time. They are consequently much more troublesome to attack, and more dangerous and difficult to kill, great dexterity and dispatch being necessary to give them no time to recover from the pain and fright caused by the first blow. When about three fourths grown, or sometimes only half, they separate from each other and go singly in search of food. All sperm whales, both large and small, have some method of communication with each other by which they become apprised of danger, and this they do, although the distance may be very considerable between them, sometimes amounting to six, seven, eight, or even ten miles. The method by which these communications are carried on remains a curious secret. CHAPTER XIX. Nature of Sperm Whales’ Food.—“_Sepia Octopus_.”—Nautilus. It has been before stated that the food of the sperm whale consists almost wholly of an animal of the cuttle-fish kind, called by whalemen “squid,” and by naturalists “_Sepia octopus_;” and at times, when he is near the shore, he feeds upon small fish, which are denominated “rock cod,” and which sometimes approach the size of a moderate salmon. But the instances in which fish of this description have been ejected from the stomach of the sperm whale are but rare, while every day’s experience proves that its common food consists of that division of _molluscous_ animals which naturalists have denominated “_Cephalopoda_,” and of which the “_Sepia octopus_,” or “sea squid,” appears to be the most common. A few words on the natural history of this highly organized and remarkable animal can not fail to be interesting to the reader, as it has excited the attention of naturalists for many ages, from the remarkable nature of its formation and peculiar habits. Endowed with all the five organs of sense, it is second to no inhabitant of the mighty waters in the complete elaboration of its organs, which has constantly rendered it a great object of attention to the anatomist and physiologist.