BAL^NID^ 17 



situated similarly to the dorsal fin of other species ; pectoral and 

 caudal fins very large; color black, more or less mottled witli 

 white below. 



Pacific Ocean. ' > , 



"The Humpback is one of the species of rorquals that roam 

 throughout every ocean, generally preferring to^ feed and perform 

 its uncouth gambols near extensive coasts, or about the shores 

 of islands, in all latitudes between the equator and the frozen 

 oceans, both north and south. It is irregular in its movements, 

 seldom going in a straight course for any distance, at one time 

 moving about in numbers, scattered over the sea as far as the 

 eye can discern from the masthead ; at other times singly, seem- 

 ingly as much at home as if surround'ed by hundreds of its kind.. 



"Its shape, compared with the symmetrical forms of the 

 Finback, California Gray and Sulphurbottom', is decidedly ugly, 

 as it has a short, thick body, and frequently a diminutive 'small', 

 with inordinately large pectorals and flukes. A protuberance, 

 of variable size and shape in different individuals, placed on the 

 back, about one fourth the length from the caudal fin, is called 

 the hump. Another cartilaginous boss projects from- the center 

 fold immediately beneath the anterior point of the lower jaw, 

 which, with the flukes, pectorals and throat of the creature, are 

 often hung with pendant parasites {Otion stimpsoni) , and on the 

 males it is frequently studded with tubercles, as on the head. The 

 under jaw extends forward considerably beyond the upper one. 

 All these combined characteristics impress the observer with the 

 idea of an animal of abnormal proportions. The top of the head 

 is dotted with irregular rounded bunches, which rise about anj 

 inch above the surface, each covering about four square inches 

 of space. 



"Extreme length (of a male) 49 feet 7 inches; length of 

 pectoral 13 feet 7 inches; breadth of pectoral 3 feet 2 inches; ex- 

 pansion of flukes 1 5 feet 7 inches ; breadth of flukes 3 feet 4- 

 inches; length of folds on belly 16 feet; thickness of blubber 5 to« 

 10 inches; color of blubber yellowish white; jneld of oil 40 bar- 



