396 WHALES, SEALS, AND SEA-SERPENTS 



moderate numbers both at Shetland and the Hebrides, 

 where together twelve individuals were killed in 1909. 

 In March, 1881, it is recorded that the Varanger Fjord, 

 in the North of Norway, was " boiling " with these 

 Humpback Whales. 



On the Pacific Coast of America there is yet another 

 large whalebone whale, the Californian Grey Whale 

 (Rachianectes glaucus). This whale is, or has been, 

 extremely abundant, chiefly off the coast of California 

 and Oregon, where it is hunted from the shore. It has, 

 however, a reputation for ferocity. In September, 

 1908, off the west coast of Vancouver Island, I had 

 the good fortune to see a marvellous shoal of whales, 

 in all probability of this species. The old " Amphion," 

 under Captain (now Admiral) Frank Finnis, steamed 

 slowly through them in a dead calm one Sunday morn- 

 ing, while service was being held upon the poop, and 

 in every direction as far as one could see the great 

 beasts were lolling and grunting and puffing and blow- 

 ing on the smooth water. 



So much for the family of Whalebone Whales, from 

 which we now pass to the Odontoceti, or toothed 

 whales. These entirely lack the whalebone fringes, and 

 are provided with teeth, that vaiy greatly in number, 

 disposition, and size. Typically (that is to say, in the 

 ordinary dolphins), they are very numerous, small and 

 conical all alike, without distinction of molars, canines, 

 etc., set in imperfectly formed sockets, or practically 

 open grooves, along the edge of the jaw. There is but 

 a single set, no milk-teeth being displaced by the 

 permanent dentition. In short, in a variety of ways 

 the teeth of the dolphins are more like those of the 

 reptiles than of the ordinary mammals. 



The greatest of the toothed whales is the Sperm 

 Whale, or Cachalot (Physeter macrocephalus), which 



