^:'>. 



MARINE 3IA3I3IALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 



The California Gray Whale is only found in north latitudes, and its migrations 

 have never been known to extend lower than 20° iiorth. It frequents the coast of 

 California from November to May. During these months the cows enter the lagoons 

 on the lower coast to bring forth their young, ''•■■ while the males remain outside 



ers smooth ; the sixth and seventh slightly ser- 

 rate on the upper anterior edge, and without 

 ventral spines. Color, yellowish white. Lon. 

 0.70, lat. 0.39 in., of largest specimen. 



$ Similar to the J in all respects, excepting 

 in being a little more slender, and in wanting 

 the accessory app)endages to the branchiiB ; the 

 ovigerous sacs are four in number, overlajoping 

 each other. 



Habitat, on the California Gray "Whale ( Eha- 

 chianectes glaucus of Cojoe), upon the Coast of 

 California ; very numerous. I may remark here 

 that these species are all so distinct from those 

 figured by Milne -Edwards, Gosse, and Bate & 

 "Westwood, that a comparative descrijjtion has 

 seemed unnecessary ; also, that the species ob- 

 tained on different species of Cetaceans have so 

 far been found invariably distinct. The infer- 

 ence is, of course, that each Cetacean has its 

 peculiar parasites — a supposition which agrees 

 with our knowledge of the facts in many groups 

 of terrestrial animals. 



Cryptulepas rhachianecti, Dall, n. s. Valves 

 subec[ual, rostrum radiate, not alate. Lateral 

 valves anteriorly alate, j^ostei-iorly radiate ; ca- 

 rina alate, not radiate. Each valve internally 

 transversely deeply grooved, and furnished ex- 

 ternally with six radiating laminaj, vertically 

 sharply grooved ; the adjacent terminal laminpo 

 of each two valves coalescing to form one lami- 

 na of extra thickness ; all the lamiuse bifurcated 

 and thickened toward the outer edges, with two 

 or more short spurs on each side, irregularly 

 placed between the shell -wall and the bifurca- 

 tion. Superior terminations of the valves (blunt- 

 ly pointed?) usually abraded, transversely striate. 

 Scuta subquadrate, adjacent anteriorly, and very 

 slightly beaked in the middle of the occludent 

 margin ; terga subquadrate, small, separated from 

 the scuta by intervening membrane ; both very 

 small in proportion to the orifice. Membranes 

 vei7 thin and delicate, raised into small lamellas 

 between the opercular valves. All the calcareous 

 matter pulverulent, and showing a strong tend- 

 ency to split up into laminte. Antero -posterior 



diameter of large specimen, 1.G2 inch; ditto of 

 orifice, 0.C3 inch; transverse diameter of orifice, 

 0.58 inch; lon. scuta, 0.17 inch; lat. ditto, 0.08 

 inch; Ion. terga, 0.07 inch; lat. ditto, 0.07 inch. 

 Color of membranes, when living, sulphur yel- 

 low ; hood, extremely protrusile. 



This species is found sessile on the California 

 Gray "Whale [Rhachianecles glaucus, Cope). I 

 have observed them on specimens of that species 

 hauled up on the beach at Monterey for cutting 

 off the blubber, in the bay - whaling of that 

 locality. The superior surface of the lateral 

 lamina3, being covered by the black skin of the 

 whale, is not visible ; and the animal, removed 

 from its native element — protruding its bright 

 yellow hood in every direction, to a surprising 

 distance, as if gasping for breath — presented a 

 truly singular appearance. 



* The c[uestion is often raised, as to whether 

 the cetaceous animals have more than one young 

 one at a birth? but it seems evident to us that 

 they never have more than two, for Nature has 

 made no provision whereby more than that num- 

 ber could draw sustenance at the same time from 

 the parent animal ; and even where j^rovision is 

 made for two among the marine mammalia, par- 

 ticularly in the ease of the seal tribe, it is rare- 

 ly if ever that the female produces twins. It is 

 true that instances have occurred where two, 

 three, or more cubs have been seen with one 

 California Gray W^hale ; but this has only hap- 

 pened in the lagoons where there had been 

 great slaughter among the cows, leaving their 

 young ones motherless, so that these straggle 

 about, sometimes following other whales, some- 

 times clustering by themselves a half-dozen to- 

 gether. "We know of one instance where a whale 

 which had a calf perhaps a month old was killed 

 close to a ship. "When the mother was taken 

 to the ship to be cut in, the young one followed, 

 and remained playing about for two weeks; but 



