350 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The chase. — There are usually high observation stands at the shore 

 stations of Upper California, from which a sharp lookout is kept. When 

 the spouting of a whale is distinguished, the observer signals its posi- 

 tion to the boats cruising off-shore, by means of a large flag, to which 

 they reply by dij^i^ing the peak of the mainsail. 



When near enough to the whale, a lance, with line attached, is fired 

 into it from a heavy harpoon-gun mounted on the bow of the boat. It 

 is finally killed by an explosive bomb-lance fired from a bomb-lance gun 

 held to the shoulder, and is towed ashore after much hard rowing. 



Mr. Clark, of San Simeon, recently took from a gray whale one of his 

 own harpoons which he had fired into the animal two years before, the 

 exi)osed portion of the instrument being rusted to the slimness of a pipe- 

 stem, contrasting strongly with the bright and sound part protected by 

 the flesh and blubber. 



Other species. — The catch of other whales in 1884 and 1885 was as 

 follows : 



stations. 



Monterey 



San Simeon 



Point Conception. 

 San Diego 



Eight- 

 whale. 



Hump- 

 hack. 



17 



Sulphur- 

 bottom. 



Occasional finback whales are taken at the coast stations, but their 

 appearance is very irregular. Sperm-whales are of still rarer occur- 

 rence, but one was captured at Carmel Bay in 1875, which yielded 53 

 barrels of oil. Whale-oil prepared at the coast stations is worth about 

 25 cents per gallon.* At this low price, whaling for the gray whale 

 must be carried on inexpensively from coast stations to support those 

 engaged in it, and it is unlikely that a return to ship whaling in Lower 

 California would be found profitable at the present time. 



Washington, D. C, Novemher 10, 188G. 



explanation of the plates. 



Plate VI. — llhacldanectes (jlancns Cope. California Gray Wbale. Ftetus, 17 feefc 

 long, taken from an adult about 40 feet long, San Simeon Bay, Cali- 

 fornia, December 25, 1885. Specimen inclined a little to tbe rigbt 

 side and sligbtly imbedded in the sand. (From a sketch by Charles 

 H. Townsend.) 

 Plate VII. — IlhaeManect<s8 glaucus Cope. California Gray Wbale. Foetus, 17 feet 

 long. (From sketches by Charles H. Towuseud.) 



Fig. 1. — Head, from above. LL, lower lip. T, tongue. 



Fig. 2. — Lower jaw, from below, showing the deep longitudinal furrows. 



Fig. 3. — Flukes, from above. 



Arctic oil generally brings a few cents more in the market. 



