30 CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. 



down with great force, which raises the water in spray and foam 

 about it; this is termed 'lobtaiHng-.' Oftentimes it descends a few 

 fathoms beneath the waves, then, giving a powerful shout nearly 

 out of the water at an angle of forty-five degrees or less, falls on 

 its side, or leaps bodily out in a semi-lateral attitude, coming down 

 with a heavy splash, producing- a pyramid of foam which may be 

 seen from the masthead, on a clear day, at least ten miles, and is 

 of great advantage to the whaler in searching for his prey. These 

 singular antics of the Sperm W'liale are said tO' l)e performed to 

 rid itself of a troublesome parasite, known among sailors by the 

 name of 'suckfish' ; but the animal is seldom infested with the 

 parasitic CTUstacea which are indigenous to the Rorquals and 

 Right Whales. 



"We may further add' that it is one of the few species of the 

 larger Cetaceans which inhabit every ocean not boimd with ic\' 

 fetters during the rigors of winter, and although great number's 

 of themi are found in the cold latitudes ; they also like to bask in 

 the equatorial waters under a tropical sun. It is true, however, 

 tliat but few are met with in the far northern limits of the At- 

 lantic or the Pacific, compared with the numbers that inhabit 

 the great range of the southern seas. 



"The Cachelots are gregarious and they are often seen in 

 schools numbering from fifteen to twenty up to hundreds. The 

 oldest and largest males, however, for the greater part of the 

 year roam, alone; yet there is no' lack of instances where these 

 monsters have been found in herds b\' themselves ; but the usual 

 assemblage is made up of males and females — the latter with 

 their young. At such times two or three large bulls are in at- 

 tendance, which lead the van. The female is quite solicitous for 

 her playful offspring, and when pursued the mother may be seen 

 assisting it to escape by partly supporting it on one of her 

 pectorals. 



"The principal food of the Sperm Whale is familiarly named 

 by whalers "squid," which includes one or more species of cuttle- 

 fishes (cephalopods) ; occasionally the codfish, albicore, and bon- 



