WHYMPER/CLAY - THE COMMON WHALE print 1843

This rare and very striking wood engraving of a common whale by Josiah Wood Whimper (later changed to Whymper), for "Plates Illustrative of Natural History," was published under the direction of The Committee of General Literature by the Society for Promoting Christian Knowledge in 1843.

The descriptive text below the engraving highlights the common whale's size, eating habits, the protectiveness of their young, why they are so pursued, and their appearance in several parts of the Holy Scripture.