Moby Dick Cetology-- Images

For my second look at Moby Dick, I decided to focus on everyone's favorite chapter-- the cetology chapter! I remember when I first read that chapter fighting the urge to go look up images of every whale mentioned. When I found out we were looking at Moby Dick through the lens of technology, I thought I would see what the benefit was of seeing images of each different type of whale.

My original plan was to link to pictures rather than copying and pasting images into the text. However, I quickly found that so many words were boring to look at. I started copying and pasting. That was more helpful in that the pictures were right in front of me. It also held my interest better.

However, I was curious to see what the effect was to get rid of all of Melville's descriptions and let the pictures actually replace the words. I found that looking at images of each type of whale is just as informative for me personally as reading Melville's descriptions. In fact, I found that seeing pictures helps me to focus a little bit better than the pages of words that all ran together in my mind. 

What is your experience as you take a look at the cetology chapter with images? Do the images change the meaning of the chapter for you?

Chapter 32: Cetology

First: According to magnitude I divide the whales into three primary
BOOKS (subdivisible into CHAPTERS), and these shall comprehend them all,
both small and large.

I. THE FOLIO WHALE; II. the OCTAVO WHALE; III. the DUODECIMO WHALE.

As the type of the FOLIO I present the SPERM WHALE; of the OCTAVO, the
GRAMPUS; of the DUODECIMO, the PORPOISE.

FOLIOS. Among these I here include the following chapters:--I. The SPERM
WHALE; II. the RIGHT WHALE; III. the FIN-BACK WHALE; IV. the HUMP-BACKED
WHALE; V. the RAZOR-BACK WHALE; VI. the SULPHUR-BOTTOM WHALE.

BOOK I. (FOLIO), CHAPTER I. (SPERM WHALE).

BOOK I. (FOLIO), CHAPTER II. (RIGHT WHALE).

BOOK I. (FOLIO), CHAPTER III. (FIN-BACK).

BOOK I. (FOLIO) CHAPTER IV. (HUMP-BACK).

BOOK I. (FOLIO), CHAPTER V. (RAZOR-BACK).

BOOK I. (FOLIO), CHAPTER VI. (SULPHUR-BOTTOM).

Thus ends BOOK I. (FOLIO), and now begins BOOK II. (OCTAVO).

OCTAVOES.*--These embrace the whales of middling magnitude, among which
present may be numbered:--I., the GRAMPUS; II., the BLACK FISH; III.,
the NARWHALE; IV., the THRASHER; V., the KILLER.


*Why this book of whales is not denominated the Quarto is very plain.
Because, while the whales of this order, though smaller than those of
the former order, nevertheless retain a proportionate likeness to them
in figure, yet the bookbinder's Quarto volume in its dimensioned form
does not preserve the shape of the Folio volume, but the Octavo volume
does.


BOOK II. (OCTAVO), CHAPTER I. (GRAMPUS).

BOOK II. (OCTAVO), CHAPTER II. (BLACK FISH).

BOOK II. (OCTAVO), CHAPTER III. (NARWHALE), that is, NOSTRIL
WHALE.

BOOK II. (OCTAVO), CHAPTER IV. (KILLER).

BOOK II. (OCTAVO), CHAPTER V. (THRASHER).

No images found.

Thus ends BOOK II. (OCTAVO), and begins BOOK III. (DUODECIMO).

DUODECIMOES.--These include the smaller whales. I. The Huzza Porpoise.
II. The Algerine Porpoise. III. The Mealy-mouthed Porpoise.

BOOK III. (DUODECIMO), CHAPTER 1. (HUZZA PORPOISE).

BOOK III. (DUODECIMO), CHAPTER II. (ALGERINE PORPOISE).--A pirate. Very
savage. He is only found, I think, in the Pacific. He is somewhat larger
than the Huzza Porpoise, but much of the same general make. Provoke him,
and he will buckle to a shark. I have lowered for him many times, but
never yet saw him captured.

BOOK III. (DUODECIMO), CHAPTER III. (MEALY-MOUTHED PORPOISE).

Beyond the DUODECIMO, this system does not proceed, inasmuch as
the Porpoise is the smallest of the whales. Above, you have all the
Leviathans of note. But there are a rabble of uncertain, fugitive,
half-fabulous whales, which, as an American whaleman, I know by
reputation, but not personally. I shall enumerate them by their
fore-castle appellations; for possibly such a list may be valuable to
future investigators, who may complete what I have here but begun. If
any of the following whales, shall hereafter be caught and marked, then
he can readily be incorporated into this System, according to his Folio,
Octavo, or Duodecimo magnitude:--The Bottle-Nose Whale; the Junk Whale;
the Pudding-Headed Whale; the Cape Whale; the Leading Whale; the Cannon
Whale; the Scragg Whale; the Coppered Whale; the Elephant Whale; the
Iceberg Whale; the Quog Whale; the Blue Whale; etc. From Icelandic,
Dutch, and old English authorities, there might be quoted other lists of
uncertain whales, blessed with all manner of uncouth names. But I omit
them as altogether obsolete; and can hardly help suspecting them for
mere sounds, full of Leviathanism, but signifying nothing.

Finally: It was stated at the outset, that this system would not be
here, and at once, perfected. You cannot but plainly see that I have
kept my word. But I now leave my cetological System standing thus
unfinished, even as the great Cathedral of Cologne was left, with the
crane still standing upon the top of the uncompleted tower. For small
erections may be finished by their first architects; grand ones, true
ones, ever leave the copestone to posterity. God keep me from ever
completing anything. This whole book is but a draught--nay, but the
draught of a draught. Oh, Time, Strength, Cash, and Patience!

(The text was taken from the Project Gutenburg electronic text)