90 MARINE MAMMALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 
diminutive, enemies. Frequently the terrified animal — comparatively of enormous 
size and superior strength — evinces no effort to escape, but lies in a helpless con- 
dition, or makes but little resistance to the assaults of its merciless destroyers. 
The attack of these wolves of the ocean upon their gigantic prey may be likened, 
in some respects, to a pack of hounds holding the stricken deer at bay. They 
cluster about the animal's head, some of their number breaching over it, while 
others seize it by the lips and haul the bleeding monster under water ; and when 
captured, should the mouth be open, they eat out its tongue. We saw an attack 
made by three Killers upon a cow whale and her calf, in a lagoon on the coast of 
Lower California, in the spring of 1858. The whale was of the California Gray 
species, and her young was grown to three times the bulk of the largest Killers 
engaged in the contest, which lasted for an hour or more. They made alternate 
assaults upon the old whale and her offspring, finally killing the latter, which sunk 
to the bottom, where the water was five fathoms deep. During the struggle, the 
mother became nearly exhausted, having received several deep wounds about the 
throat and lips. As soon as their prize had settled to the bottom, the three Orcas 
descended, bringing up large pieces of flesh in their mouths, which they devoured 
after coming to the surface. While gorging themselves in this wise, the old whale 
made her escape, leaving a track of gory water behind. Instances have been known, 
on the North - western Coast, where a band of Orcas laid siege to whales that had 
been killed by whalemen, and which were being towed to the ship, in so deter- 
mined a manner, that, although they were frequently lanced and cut with boat- 
spades, they took the dead animals from their human captors, and hauled them 
under water, out of sight. The Orca, however, does not always live on such 
gigantic food ; and we incline to the belief that it is but rarely these carnivora of 
the sea attack the larger Cetaceans, but chiefly prey with great rapacity upon their 
young. The Orca finds its principal food in the smaller species of its own genus, 
together with seals and the larger fishes, as before mentioned. For several seasons 
we had watched them about the seal islands of California, and came to the con- 
clusion that they subsisted on the fish found around the edge of the kelp which 
fringes the shores. By chance, however, we were so fortunate as to take one at 
the island of Asuncion, and, on examining its stomach, found it filled with young 
seals. At the time it was the height of the sealing season, and the beaches around 
the island were lined with innumerable herds ; and, although there were sealing 
parties about the rocks from early dawn until dusk of evening, no one ever saw 
these savage animals molest the seals that were continually swimming about in very 
large numbers. Subsequently, we had an excellent opportunity to observe them at 
