PREFACE. 13 



Baird, of the Smithsonian Institution ; Professor George Davidson, of the United 

 States Coast Survey ; Doctor W. 0. Ayres, of San Francisco ; Doctor Theodore Gill, 

 of Washington ; Mr. J. A. Allen, of Cambridge ; Mr. R. E. C. Stearns, of San Fran- 

 cisco ; Mr. Albert Bierstadt, of Irvington, N. Y. ; Mr. W. H. Dall, of the Smith- 

 sonian Institution ; and to Doctor George Hewston, of San Francisco, for special 

 assistance. Also, to Mr. F. C. Sanford, of Nantucket, Mass.; Messrs. Williams and 

 Chapel, of the firm of Williams, Havens & Co., jS^ew London, Conn.; and Dennis 

 Wood, Esq., of New Bedford, for valuable statistics relative to the whale-fishery. 



It is with pleasure that I also mention the assistance I have received from 

 officers of the United States Revenue Marine, in making scientific collections for the 

 study of whales and seals, and in furnishing specimens for the Xational Museum at 

 Washington. I would particularly mention Lieutenants George W. Bailey, W. C. 

 Coulson, G. E. McConnell, and Engineers J. A. Doyle and H. Hassel. 



The account of the American Whale-fishery has been compiled from the most 

 reliable sources within reach, and from the experience of many whalemen with 

 whom I was associated for several years, while in active service on the principal 

 whaling- grounds then frequented. I have also attempted to give a chronological 

 account of the rise, progress, and decline of our great national maritime enterprise, 

 the whale-fishery; and to make the picture complete, a few pages have been 

 devoted to a description of the every -day life of a whaleman, his characteristic 

 traits, and the incidents that make up the routine of a whaling- voyage. 



The "Catalogue of the Cetacea" appended to this work has been drawn up 

 with great care by Mr. W. H. Dall, who has taken pains to do the work as thor- 

 oughly as circumstances would permit ; and as I have assisted him with my per- 

 sonal knowledge of those species which are of rare occurrence on this coast, and 

 placed in his hands all my notes and collections, I trust that his paper will be 

 found of great assistance to the professional naturalist. As Mr. Dall remarks, 

 however, "Completeness is not claimed for this list. In fact, it can hardly be 

 attained for a considerable period, when the difficulties and expense connected with 

 these researches are appreciated." Only two species of Cetaceans have been added 

 to the list of those mentioned as not being represented by "material sufficient to 

 indicate their zoological position ;" and these were not known to Mr. Dall at the 

 time he was preparing his list. 



