60 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OF 



oil which becomes fixed as it cools, and is known under the name of sperma- 

 ceti. The body yields sperm oil. The substance known under the name of 

 ambergris is a concretion found in the intestines of Sperm Whales." 



The Sperm Whale is found usually in the deep open sea, or, as whalemen 

 term it, "off soundings," but many instances are known of their being seen in 

 large numbers, and captures have been made on soundings. This has been 

 the case to our knowledge off St. Bartolme Bay and Ballenas Bay, on the 

 Lower California coast, the depth of water at these places varying from forty 

 to eighty fathoms. 



Many have the impression that the Sperm Whale is found but rarely out of 

 the limits of tropical or temperate waters, but we have known of the larger 

 class being often taken as far south as 50° of latitude, both in the Pacific and 

 Atlantic, and as far north in the Pacific as Cape Ommany, which is in latitude 

 56° W. 



The Sperm Whale is usually found in schools numbering from fifteen up to 

 hundreds, females with their young predominating; sometimes the large males 

 are found alone, at other times in schools, either alone or in company. The 

 sperm whale is very regular in its spoutings, the volume of vapor being 

 ejected forward in one column at nearly a right angle with the body, and the 

 time it remains under water after it has made its habitual number of blows is 

 marked with great unifoi-rnity also. The spout-hole is situated at a point 

 formed by the superior and anterior surfaces of its head, a few inches on the 

 left side. 



The one referred to as being taken off the Galapagos Islands in 1853, 

 spouted (or blowed) fifty-five times while on the surface (ten minutes), and 

 when he descended to the depths below, turned his flukes a few feet out of 

 water and was not visible again for fifty-five minutes; at the expiration of 

 which time he was seen as before, and when his spoutings were out, which 

 occurred at regular intervals, he again disappeared in the same manner. This 

 whale was pursued from eleven o'clock A. M. to four P. M., during which time 

 he did not deviate in his course, and the number of respirations at each rising 

 and the time of remaining under water after turning flukes were alike. 



The smaller and j'ounger whales spout a less number of times, remain 

 under water a shorter period, and are not quite so regular in their habits. 

 This class of them usually remain above water one-fourth or one-fifth of the 

 time, making from thirty to forty spouts at each rising, and remain under 

 water about twenty minutes. 



But when the Cachalot becomes alarmed, or is sporting on the ocean, it ex- 

 hibits widely different actions, sometimes thrashing the water with its flukes 

 (i. e. " loptailing,") at times descending below the surface, then giving itself 

 a shoot out of the water at an angle of about forty-five degrees, falls ou its 

 side, raising the water into a pile of foam that may he seen from the masthead 

 in clear weather fifteen miles. This singular antic is accounted for by its 

 pursuers, that it is to rid itself of" suck fish " and "crab-lice," but after ex- 

 amining these marine vermin, the reason appears to be an improbable one. 

 The Sperm Whale is seen not unfrequently in a perpendicular posture with the 

 head above water ; it has a habit likewise of rolling over many times in suc- 

 cession ; this it does occasionally after being harpooned, winding the line 

 around its body ; when " gallied "* it frequently " sweeps " around to ascertain 

 whether there is any object within reach; this " sweeping " is performed by 

 moving its tail from side to side. When feeding it is said to move through 

 the water with its under jaw hanging down perpendicular to its body, and 

 when any substance comes in contact with it the jaw is instantly shut ; but 

 when on the surface, if the animal attacks a large object like a boat, it turns 

 over on its back to bite. 



Its time of gestation is not known, but is supposed to be ten months, and it 



* Frightened. 



[April, 



