NATURAL SCIENCES OF PHILADELPHIA. 57 



howeirer, we were so fortunate as to take one of them, as before mentioned, 

 and on examining, to satisfy our curiosity about the character of its food, 

 found that it consisted of young seals. At the time it was the sealing season, 

 aud the beaches about the island were covered with innumerable herds, and, 

 although there were sealing j)artics about the shores from early dawn till dark, 

 no one ever saw these savage animals molest the seals that were continually 

 swimming about in large numbers. 



Compared with other species of the Dolphin family, the Killers are not nu- 

 merous. Their mating season, or time of gestation, is a matter of conjecture ; 

 probably in this respect they are similar to the Sperm Whale. We have met 

 with them in mid winter about the Gulf of Georgia, and along the northern 

 coast as far as Sitka, as often as at any other season of the year, showing 

 plainly that they are not confined to warm latitudes, nor migrate from the 

 colder climates during the rigorous months, and, in whatever region found, 

 they seem to be always prowling for prey. 



THE SHORT-FINNED KILLER. 

 Orca ater Cope. 



The Killers I have noticed in the Gulf of Georgia, about the northern end of 

 Vancouver Island, and as far north as the Aleutian Islands, appear to have 

 more white on the sides and are of a dull black on the back, the dorsal fin 

 shorter and much wider at the base. Their habits, however, are the same, 

 being almost invariably seen going along, with an undulating movement, three, 

 four, six, or eight together. They are generally irregular in their course, and 

 are much more of the time below than upon the surface of the water. 



November 7th, 1868, we saw, in the Strait of Juan de Fuca, off Port Ange- 

 los, a number of Killers moving rapidly up the strait. We noticed one of the 

 number peculiarly marked on the side with a white spot of shape as shown in 

 the sketch. They were marked on the back also, with a brown spot approach- 

 ing a crescent shape, just behind the dorsal fin ; but we did not see them long 

 enough to ascertain the shape with any degree of accuracy. The pectorals of 

 the Killers seem to be farther from the head in proportion to their length of 

 body than any others of the Dolphin family. This seems to be a provision of 

 nature to facilitate their attacks on the whales, as when inserting the head be- 

 tween the lips of the Balaena, to eat out its tongue, these side fins of the former 

 are not in the way. 



^ I am full}- convinced that there are at least two species of Killers on 

 the coast between the latitudes of 20° and 60° north : one with a dorsal fin ex- 

 cessively long, narrow at the base, standing very erect ; the other species with 

 a shorter fin, somewhat curved, much broader and slanting backward. 



THE WHITEFISH. 

 Beluga sp.? 



My opportunities for observing the habits of the Whitefish, as termed by the 

 American whalemen, have been as follows: In the Okhotsk Sea, along the 

 coast of Eastern Siberia, during the summer of 1862 ; in Plover Bay, lat. 64° 

 26^ N. long. 173° 07^ W., September, 1865, and in the same place and month of 

 1866; in Norton Sound Sept., 1865. 



Their habits are similar to those of the Blackfish in many respects, being 

 seen in schools of various but usually less numbers than the former. When 

 pursued they appear to be wild and to avoid the boats. One striking peculi- 

 arity I observed was their going along one after the other in a sort of train, com- 

 ing to the surface and spouting irregularl}', showing but little of the body 

 above water. It was unusual to see more than two or three abreast, undulat- 

 ing through the water, at the same time. They often make a noise when com- 

 ing to the surface that may be compared to the faint low of an ox, but the 



1869.] 



