i 3 o A BOOK OF WHALES 



which is met with in other whales. There may be 

 three hundred and fifty or more of the laminae of 

 whalebone on each side of the mouth. Scammon 

 relates that three hundred and seventy layers of 

 whalebone is the largest number that he ever 

 counted. The typical " Bowhead," which Scammon 

 does not differentiate from the Baltzna mysticetus^ 

 occurs chiefly in the vicinity of Behring Strait. In 

 the sea of Okhotsk there is to be found, in addition 

 to the typical Greenland whale, a smaller variety, 

 called in the vernacular of the American whalers 

 " Poggy." This creature yields but a small quantity 

 of oil as compared with its larger relatives. They 

 yield per whale from seventy-five to two hundred 

 barrels ; the " Poggy " only furnishes from twenty to 

 twenty-five barrels. 



" Many whalemen," proceeds Captain Scammon, 

 "are of the opinion that this is a different species. 

 There is little doubt, however, of this being a young 

 whale of the same species, as its blubber is close 

 and fine, producing but little oil in proportion to 

 size of body, as is the case with all calves or young 

 whales of every description." Nevertheless, Scammon 

 is of opinion that this sea does contain a distinct 

 variety of the common Greenland whale which he 

 terms and figures as Roy's " Bunchback." Its most 

 characteristic feature is a small hump or bunch a 

 little in front of the tail, a structure which resembles 

 the series of low humps found on the back of the 

 Sperm whale, and is no doubt the vanishing equi- 

 valent of the strongly-marked dorsal fin of other 



