He collected specimens that inspired his theory of Natural Selection.This carved sperm whale's tooth, or scrimshaw, was made on the HMS Beagle. It is made from ivory and was carved by James Bute.

The curators wish to correct the longtime Western bias in favor of American scrimshaw—the sailor’s art that works primarily ...

There's also an impressive collection of scrimshaw art: Whalers created these elaborately engraved (or carved) pieces out of spare whale bones and teeth to pass the time at sea. While the museum's ...