This reprint of a 19th century classic of American zoological study and the single most important historical work on marine mammals of the West Coast. Scammon sets out to give readers detailed technical information about different species of marine mammals. Though he does this with the eye of a whaler out to hunt these animals, his descriptions strangely have all of the playfulness and sensitivity of a naturalist. The text is divided into three parts: a species-by-species account of whales and dolphins (including physical descriptions, a discussion of their habits, and also a quantification of their economic value), a similar section for other sea mammals (sea elephants, sea lions, seals, sea otters and walruses), and then a thorough discussion of the history of whaling