100 EXPEDITION TO POINT BAKKOW, ALASKA. 



About a week or ton days later nuotbcr large herd of .several hundred passed up each season, 

 and those won- all that were seen. 



The last herd in 1882 came close to the beach, aiid one was killed with a rifle. There was no 

 opportunity to make a caroiV,! study of it or to obtain its complete skeleton, as it was immediately 

 cut up for meat. The skull was unfortunately destroyed by the ice while being cleaned in the 

 water by the saml-lleas. 



The followi n^ are the measurements of this specimen: 



ADULT FEMALE. 



Feet. Inches. 



From fork of tail to tip of lower jaw 12 8$ 



(iirth belaud flippers 7 4 



Breadth of tail 2 CJ 



Breadth between angle of lower jaw 1 



Length of heail from ear 1 4 



Length of vulva 1 10 



Length of flipper 1 3 



Color, white, grayish on flukes and flippers, with a yellowish tinge on the back ; mamma} 

 opposite the lower third of the genital sulcus, which includes the anus ; mammary sulcus about 

 two inches long ; blubber thick. 



These animals are much prized by the natives, who value the skin very highly for making the 

 finest quality of water-proof soles for their seal-skin boots. They are also sometimes used for mak- 

 ing very fine walrus or whale lines. 



The flesh is quite palatable, though rather tasteless. 



18. MONODON MONOCEROS Linn. 



NARWHAL (Tugalul). 



"So living Narwhals were seen during our stay at Point Barrow, but we found the ivory in tho 

 possession of the natives. They recognized drawings of the animals, and said that they were occa- 

 sionally seen and killed. The name is essentially the same as one of those applied by the Green- 

 landers and eastern Eskimos to this animal. 



19. ORCA sp. 



KILLER (A'xlo). 



The natives described a whale which they sometimes saw, and which was " bad" and had largo 

 teeth. From the resemblance of the name to the ordinary Eskimo word for "Killer" I am inclined 

 to believe that a species of Orca was meant. None were seen during our stay at the station. 



20. BAL.S3NA MTSTICETUS Linn. 



POLAR WHALE, "BOWHEAD" (A'V bicuJc). 



Whales' jawbones, skulls, and vertebra? are plenty scattered along the shore and in tho 

 villages, where jawbones and ribs are used for staging timbers, and they are also sometimes found 

 buried in the turf, indicating considerable age. There is also much decaying whalebone in tho 

 ruined iglus which have been laid open by the sea at Cape Sinythe, pointing to the time when 

 whalebone had no commercial value, and more was obtained than could be used for ordinary 

 purposes in the village. 



About the middle of April, when the "leads " of open water begin to form off shore, the whales 

 appear a few stragglers at first, but gradually increasing in numbers all traveling to the north- 

 east even when the lead is much clogged with loose ice. Indeed, the whales seem to have learned 

 that they are much safer in the ice than in the open water, and may be heard "blowing" in the 

 loose pack when there is plenty of open water for them to travel in. 



