A WHALE'S TONGUE 



observed the same habit in the California specimens 

 and says: 



About the shoals at the mouth of one of the lagoons, in 

 1860, we saw large numbers of the monsters. It was at the 

 low stage of the tide, and the shoal places were plainly 



A strip of blubber from the back of a gray whale with the short 

 flipper at the end of it. 



marked by the constantly foaming breakers. To our sur- 

 prise we saw many of the whales going through the surf 

 where the depth of water was barely sufficient to float 

 them. We could discern in many places, by the white sand 

 that came to the surface, that they must be near or touching 

 the bottom. 



One in particular lay for half an hour in the breakers, 

 205 



