60 3IARINE MA3niALS OF THE NORTH-WESTERN COAST. 



covers the Arctic waters, even in the coldest latitudes. These fissures are caused 

 by the i-ise and fall of the tides, and contraction and expansion of the ice. Storms 

 acting upon the water hundreds of miles distant also have their influence in rend- 

 ing asunder the icy fetters of those frozen seas. It appears to us not improbable 

 that the Bowhead, has a feeding and breeding ground in a polar sea. And as they 

 have never been seen during the winter months in any other quarter of the globe, 

 except as before mentioned, it would appear that they must either remain among 

 the rough water and broken ice, at the southern edge of the winter barrier, or 

 migrate to some remote sea unknown to man. 



OKHOTSK SEA BOWHEADS. 



The preceding remarks have been confined chiefly to the Bowheads of the Arc- 

 tic, in the vicinity of Behring Strait, north and south. The Okhotsk Sea at one 

 time equaled if not surpassed the Arctic as a productive whaling -ground. Our 

 memorandum does not state with certainty what year Bowheads were first taken 

 in the Okhotsk. It, however, was not earlier than 1847, nor later than 1849.* 

 They were found to be easy of capture, and yielded a large amount of oil and 

 bone. On making further explorations, the whales appeared in great numbers, and, 

 from the peculiar shape of the head, the spout -holes terminating in a sort of cone, 

 they were at that time called "steeple -tops." But a few years elapsed before a 

 large fleet of ships was pursuing the animals throughout the whole extent of this 

 vast inland water. Tchantar Bay, Taousk and Penjinsk gulfs soon became noted 

 whaling -grounds, as well as several other points about the coasts. The whales of 

 this sea, as far as known, are the same species as those of the Arctic ; although 

 in the bays is found, in addition, a very small whale called the "Foggy," which 

 yields but little oil (twenty to twenty -five barrels).! Many whalemen are of the 



* Captain J. H. Swift, who was cruising in enced and very intelligent whaling -masters, it 



Behring Sea about the year 1847, is quite posi- is desired to make mention, that we are under 



tive that the French ship Asia was the first to much obligation to them for valuable data in 



take Bowheads in the Okhotsk (in 1847). Cap- relation to several species of Cetacea, more es- 



tain Eoys, of Arctic notoriety ( before spoken pecially as they are regarded as very correct and 



of), in a recent interview, seemed equally cer- close observers of the hahits of whales. 

 tain that the Asia was not the first to take Bow- f We are convinced that there are two vari- 



heads in that sea. He thinks none were taken eties of Bowheads, which are found on the same 



till 1848 or 1849, and that the American ship ground. The variation from the animal above 



Emtsmlle, Captain Freeman Smith, was about described is a bunch, or sort of hump, present 



the first, if not the first, to take Bowheads in on the top of the "small," which is situated 



that region. In justice to both of these experi- about six feet forward of the flukes, extending 



