252 WHALES AND DOLPHINS 



On the hinder part of their upper surface are white markings, 

 whilst on their under surface these are more numerous, and 

 there are also two irregular bands of white or light colour 

 separating the second and third and third and fourth fingers. 



The home of this species is the Pacific, where, according to 

 the time of year, it is found from the Arctic Ocean to Lower 

 California on the American side and to Korea on the western 

 Pacific. It is an interesting fact, however, that there is 

 evidence of this species, believed to be confined to the Pacific 

 at the present time, having occurred in other parts of the 

 world. Last year, when a part of the Zuyder Zee which had 

 been drained became dry land, a skull and part of a skeleton 

 undoubtedly belonging to a Californian Grey Whale came to 

 light, and the Dutch cetologists who examined the specimen 

 later identified another from the same region. Their investi- 

 gation of this material, along with the consideration of the 

 descriptions of certain whales previously placed (and it must 

 be admitted rather arbitrarily) in other known genera, point 

 to the occurrence of the Grey Whale in the Atlantic — and 

 there is no fundamental reason why it should not have been 

 found there. 



In Captain Scammon's book, ' The Marine Mammals of the 

 North Western Coast of North America ', there is an excellent 

 and very detailed account of the habits and migrations of the 

 Grey Whale. It is stated that this species was to be found 

 on the coast of California from November to May, and that 

 during these months the cows entered the lagoons on the 

 lower coast to bring forth their young while the males remained 

 outside along the sea-shore. The time of gestation is said to 

 be about a year, usually one calf being produced at a birth, 

 although twins sometimes occur. Occasionally a male was 

 to be seen in the lagoons at the end of the season, and soon 

 afterwards male and female with their young were to be 

 observed working northward always keeping close inshore. 

 In the summer the animals congregated in the Arctic Ocean 

 and Okhotsk Sea. 



In October and November, according to Scammon, the Grey 

 Whales appear off the coast of Oregon and Upper California 

 on their way southward, gathering in the lagoons in large 

 numbers, at times lying quite motionless, and at others passing 



