BOOK III. (_Duodecimo_), CHAPTER III. (_Mealy-mouthed Porpoise_)

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# BOOK III. (_Duodecimo_), CHAPTER III. (_Mealy-mouthed Porpoise_) ## Overview This entity is a chapter from the novel "Moby-Dick; or, The Whale." Titled "BOOK III. (_Duodecimo_), CHAPTER III. (_Mealy-mouthed Porpoise_)", it spans lines 6007 to 6055 of the source file. ## Context This chapter is part of the novel "[Moby-Dick; or, The Whale](arke:01KG8AJ9GN1K052QJEZVGKXJ0T)," which was extracted from the file "[moby_dick.txt](arke:01KG89J198KE6FY8WPVJQQRCZ6)". The novel is included in the "[Melville Complete Works](arke:01KG89HMDZKNY753EZE1CJ8HZW)" collection. This chapter follows "[BOOK III. (_Duodecimo_), CHAPTER II. (_Algerine Porpoise_)](arke:01KG8AK83B5KMA249P97MB0T3T)" and precedes "[CHAPTER 33. The Specksnyder.](arke:01KG8AM6RFSC0Y2KVF4DZZ0THQ)". ## Contents This chapter describes the "Mealy-mouthed Porpoise," noting its size, appearance, and oil. It details the porpoise's distinctive coloration, with a black upper body and a white "bright waist" and mouth, giving it a "mealy-mouthed" appearance. The chapter also touches upon the classification of whales, mentioning that the porpoise is the smallest of note. It then lists other whales of uncertain or legendary status, such as the Bottle-Nose Whale, Junk Whale, and Elephant Whale, before concluding with a reflection on the unfinished nature of the author's cetological system, comparing it to the unfinished Cologne Cathedral.

description_generated_at

2026-01-30T20:51:00.378Z

description_model

gemini-2.5-flash-lite

description_title

BOOK III. (_Duodecimo_), CHAPTER III. (_Mealy-mouthed Porpoise_)

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21937

extracted_at

2026-01-30T20:47:54.527Z

extracted_by

structure-extraction-lambda

source_file

01KG89J198KE6FY8WPVJQQRCZ6

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6007

title

BOOK III. (_Duodecimo_), CHAPTER III. (_Mealy-mouthed Porpoise_)