30 TOE WHALES AND PORPOISES. 



Cranz, in bis history of Greenland (Engl. trausl., vol. i, p. 110) describes "the Jupiter Whale, 

 which the Spanish whale fishers call more properly Gubartas, or Gibbar, from a protuberance, 

 gibbero, which grows towards the tail, besides the flu." 



Returning to the "Dubertus" of the charter, Senator Anthony will see how easy it was for an 

 engrossing clerk to mistake the initial "G," in seventeenth century chancery-hand, for a "D," in an 

 unfamiliar name. A more troublesome mistake was made by the engraver of the seal of the 

 Massachusetts Bay Company, which obliged Governor Winthrop always to describe himself, in 

 official papers, as governor of the Company of Mattachusetts Bay, etc. 



J. HAMMOND TRUMBULL. 



THE PACIFIC FINBACK. The Finback of the Pacific, Balamoptera velifera Cope, also called 

 the Oregon Finner, is common in Oregon and California, and is the rival of the sulphur-bottom in 

 swiftness. Like the Atlantic Finbacks, it can be taken only with the bomb gun. Scammon gives 

 the measurements of an individual sixty feet long which came ashore near the Golden Gate. He 

 states that enormous quantities of codfish -have been found in their stomachs. "The habitual 

 movements of the Finback in several points are peculiar. When it respires, the vaporous breath 

 passes quickly through its spiracles, and when a fresh supply of air is drawn into the breathing^ 

 system, a sharp and somewhat musical sound may be heard at a considerable distance, which is 

 quite distinguishable from that of other whales of the same genus. (We have observed the intervals 

 between the respirations of a large Finback to be about seven seconds.) It frequently gambols 

 about vessels at sea, in mid-ocean, as well as close in with the coast, darting under them, or shoot- 

 ing swiftly through the water on either side; at one moment upon the surface, belching forth its 

 quick, ringing spout, and the next instant submerging itself beneath the waves as if enjoying a 

 spirited race with the ship darting along under press of sail. Occasionally they congregate in 

 schools of fifteen to twenty or less." ' 



"An instance occurred in Monterey Bay in 1865, of five being captured; a 'pod' of whales 

 was seen in the offing, from their shore station, by the whalemen, who immediately gave chase. 

 One was harpooned, and, although it received a mortal wound, they all 'run together' as before. 

 One of the gunners managed to shoot the whole five, and they were all secured. 



"A Finback sixty-five feet long yielded seventy-five barrels of oil. The blubber was clear 

 white, seven to nine inches thick. The largest baleen measured twenty-eight inches in length, 

 thirteen in width, and was provided with a long fringe." 2 



Another related form, the Sharp-headed Finner, B. Damdsonii Scammon, has habits similar to 

 the Finback, but frequents more northern waters, where it is sometimes taken by the Indians of 

 Cape Flattery. 



15. THE SCRAG WHALE. 



HISTORY OF THK SCRAG WHALE. The Hon. Paul Dudley, writing in 1809 of the whales of 

 New England, remarked upon a certain kind in these words: "A Scrag Whgle: Is near akin to the 

 Fin Back, but instead of a fin upon its back, the ridge of the after part of its back is scragged with 

 half a dozen knobs or knuckles. He is nearest the right whale in figure and quantity of oil. His 

 bone is white but won't split." 3 



Atwood also writes: "A species of whale known by this name, nearly allied to if not identical 

 with the right whale, is sometimes taken here. It is the opinion of many of our whalemen that 

 they are not a distinct species, but the young right whale that lost its mother while very young, 



1 SCAMMON: op. nil., p. 35. 

 * SCAMMON: op. oil., jj. :54. 

 'DUDLEY, PAUL: Philosophical Transactions, xxxiii, 1809, p. 2f>9. 



