32 PROCEEDINGS OF THE ACADEMY OP 



it measures twenty-two inches in a lengtli of twenty-four feet. The promi- 

 nent swollen front is in the Newport whale, considerably compressed, and the 

 eye is placed in a strong longitudinal prominence on each side of the head. 



The dorsal fin, as in Deslongchamp's specimen, is small, and posterior. The 

 caudal fluke is not emarginate. The color is dark, deeper above than below. 

 It remains a question whether this is the H. semijunctua. The principal 

 character on which that species rests is the non-coossification of the posterior 

 four cervical vertebrae, a very remarkable character, and one which leads to 

 the question of its pertinence to the genus. The cervical vertebrae of the 

 Newport specimen are entirely cocissified. The same character is furnished by 

 a second specimen. 



This is the skeleton preserved in the Museum Compar. Zoology at Cam- 

 bridge, Afass , of an individual cast ashore during the winter of the present 

 year, at Dennis, near Cape Cod, Massachusetts. It was stripped of its blubber 

 by Perez Hall, of that place, who kindly sent me a sketch of it. He stated its 

 length to be twenty-four feet, of which the muzzle measured twenty-two 

 inches : the expanse of the flukes was six feet. The stomach was filled with 

 the beaks of cuttle fish. On inquiry of J. A. Allen, of Cambridge, well known 

 as a naturalist there, I learn that the cervical vertebrte of the animal are solid- 

 ly coossified, as in the H. rostra t us. It is therefore distinct from the H. 

 s e m i j u n c t u s. The photographs are figured for the further illustration of 

 the species. The characters derived from the portions of the skeleton sent 

 by Sanil. Powell are as follows : 



PHYSETER Linn. 



Physeter macrocephalus Linn. 



The sperm whale. 



This species is one of the few that appear to be distributed over all oceans. 

 Flower does not find those from Australian to differ specifically from those 

 from British seas, and I find no peculiarities by which to distinguish a speci- 

 men from our own coast from the latter. This is known from a cranium 

 which was found on the coast of New Jersey and is in the Mus. Compar. Zool- 

 ogy, Cambridge. 



Part II. 



NATURAL HISTORY 



Of the Cetaceans of the seas off the N'orth-West Coast of America, with an account 

 of the Elephant Seal appended. 



PREPACK. 



Being on the coast of California in 1852, when the ^'^ gold fever" raged, the 

 force of circumstances compelled me to take command of a brig bound on a 

 '• sealing, sea-elephant and whaling voyage," or abandon sea life — at least 

 temporarily. 



Finding the object of pursuit in such vast numbers, and observing their 

 natural habits in connection with their capture, it may not be surprising that 

 it led to the study of their history. The few works treating the subject within 

 reach were sufficient to prove that correct knowledge of the different species 

 of whales was very meager, hence it appeared that, by industrious observation, 

 one might rea.sonably expect to add something to the little known of their 

 habits. 



It IS to be regretted that among the number of intelligent and observing 

 American whaling masters, none have hitherto attempted to contribute any 

 thing of moment to the history of whales ; nevertheless it has in no wise de- 

 terred me from putting my observations on paper and, if eventually this 

 humble treatise shall add to what is already known about Cetacea, it will be 

 regarded as an ample reward. 



The drawings of the different species where a scale is attached may be re- 



[ April, 



