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Marine Mammals of the North-West Coast of North America, Described and Illustrated. Together with an account of the American Whale-Fishery.
Marine Mammals of the North-West Coast of North America, Described and Illustrated. Together with an account of the American Whale-Fishery.

Marine Mammals of the North-West Coast of North America, Described and Illustrated. Together with an account of the American Whale-Fishery.

Date1874
Object number00047871
NameBook
MediumInk on paper
DimensionsOverall: 305 x 250 x 40 mm, 2193.3 g
ClassificationsBooks and journals
Credit LineANMM Collection Purchased with USA Bicentennial Gift funds
DescriptionCharles Scammon was a whaling captain turned naturalist. He wrote with authority, both of whaling history and the natural history of whales. With its skillfully executed single and double page lithographs of the major species, this is one of the most dramatic and attractive American whaling books.HistoryFrom 1852 onward Captain Scammon made an extended study of the mammals of the Northwest Coast, especially the whales, an area in which little knowledge existed at the time. During the ensuing twenty years he studied the habits of marine mammals as well as taking accurate measurement of specimens that were killed or found dead. The purpose of this was to enable him to accurately depict the animals in the detailed lithographs contained in this volume.SignificanceThis is the first major natural history of marine mammals published in the United States.