130 MAMMALS OF THE PACIFIC WORLD 



schools of fifteen or more (once schools of a hundred were not 

 uncommon), and they feed on squid, octopus, and some kinds of 

 fish. Although these whales are commonest near the equator all 

 across the Pacific, they are found also between fifty degrees 

 south latitude and forty degrees north, with concentrations off 

 New Zealand and Australia, and between Hawaii and Japan. 



Fig. 53 — Sperm Whale 



Ambergris, a substance used as a base for perfumes, is a 

 product of the sperm whale, formed in the digestive tract. It is 

 usually grayish in color, with a sweet, slightly musty odor. It 

 is so valuable that for months after some has been found, bits 

 of waste fat or soap, mistaken for it, are hopefully brought to 

 museums for identification. 



The Pygmy Sperm Whale (Kogia) is much smaller than the 

 sperm whale. It attains a length of about twelve feet. The 

 head is short and rounded and a dorsal fin is present. It is 

 found in all seas, but seems to be rather rare. 



The Bottle-nosed Whale {Hyperoodon) is about twenty-five 

 to thirty feet in length when fully grown. Its body is rather 

 heavy; the "forehead" bulges, and there is a well-developed 

 "beak." In color this whale varies from dark gray to black 

 above and lighter on the underside. There are only two small 

 teeth, situated one each side at the tip of the lower jaw and 

 hidden in the gums. The bottle-nosed whale is known to occur 

 off the west coast of Australia; records in the islands to the 

 north are lacking. 



The Baird Whale (Berardius) is rare. It is found from the 

 Bering Sea to California and may occur off Japan. A second 



