Beyond the Horizon 263 



the Pacific Ocean from the Siberian Sea of Okhotsk to 

 Oregon. The Japanese from very early times have 

 hunted these creatures; however, in late years the 

 American and Russian whalers have made considerable 

 inroads on their numbers. Here, too, the specific dif- 

 ference from the Biscayan whale and the black whale 

 does not seem to be well marked. The condition in 

 which they are brought to shore does not make it easy 

 for thorough comparisons. It is probable, though, that 

 if any differences do exist, they are very slight. 



RORQUAL. 



The rorquals and humpbacked whales resemble the 

 right whales in their habits, and except for the presence 

 of a dorsal fin and having much smaller heads, they 

 correspond with the other in general structure. But a 

 peculiarity exists in the appearance of these animals 

 which is unique : the skin under the throat is lined in a 

 lengthwise direction with long parallel ridges and 

 grooves, or plications. As I have said, some of the 

 rorquals have been alleged to measure nearly one hun- 

 dred feet; they are larger than the right whales, and 

 indeed are the largest of all known animals, living or 

 extinct. Of all the whalebone whales they are the 

 most abundant and widely distributed, being found in 

 almost every sea. They live on minute organisms, 



