Evening star. [volume] (Washington, D.C.) 1854-1972, 1897-10-20
DESTRUCTION OF THE SEALS
Killer Whale Responsible in Large Meas
ure for Their Diminution.
Views Of Capt. Edward Herendcen.
Employe of Smithsonian Instttu-
tfon-Incidents of Interest.

Capt Edward p Herendeep. 5oorleener
at the Smithsonian Institution is an ola
whaler OF New Bedford. Mass. and knows
the things which swim I'm the sea far he,,.r
than the majority Of men know the ami.
mails Of their own country. Speaking 20 "a
Star reporter regarding the destruction Of
the seals by the killer whale" or orca.
Capt. Herendeen said:
After man, the orca is by far the ca,sa
OF greater depletion OF the seal rookeries
IMAM any other known. 1 saw a killer
whaie cut open once, which had no less
IMAM nineteen seal pups in its stomach. all
as natural as life. The whale had been run
on bar while chasing the pups and WAS
stranded. The old males drive the seal
pups uoWn INTO the water to learn to swim
ana the Killer liking young ard terder
Hesn, preys upon them.
The orca Is willing TO Fight almost ,p,,
thing which swims. but prefers Inc yo.,,.,
OF any animal. The only thing A never
knew the killer 10 tackle was the sperm
whale, and this species was left severely
alone, though other varieties of whales 1
nave seen hustle to get out of The way OF
the Killer. The reason the latter is chary
OF attacking The sperm is that the species
nsnts with both enGs-head and tail-and
can bite like bulldog
Fright Of Bull Seals.
L have seen the big bull seals so fright
ened al the killers that they would dive
underneath the boat from side 10 side. ana
act as If they were scared on; of their
hides. The 'orca' has one popularity. which
is that ii has fin. sometimes six feet
high, projecting above its back shaped
something like the paddle of a ships screw.
AS At swims along, this sticks out above the
wafer. The fish bites like any other mann
NAL. without turning on It's side.
the idea that shark tuyns on its side
TO bite is a mistake. as 1 have seen Them
hundreds of times. They rush at a thing
just as a dog would. After they have set
their teeth in it they may turn over, wor-
rying and mangling whatever they have
hold of. They turn from side TO side to
tear the piece out.
Speaking of sea food out of the common,
Capt. Herendeen said:
II have eaten seal and walrus steaks.
and the walrus is much better than the
seal The flesh of the latter is dark, while
the walrus is much on the order of beef,
the fiber being coarse. l have eaten the
flesh Of the devil fish more than once, and
have found it paatable. 1t resembles lob
ster extremely. but is much tougher. IL
makes by no means a bad dish.
Monster Devil Fish.
Il saw devil fish once which measured
about lG feet across, from the end of one
of the suckers TO the tip of the other Its
body could have been held in a fve-gallon
pot.
The creature has the faculty of dis
charging some sort of a substance I'm the
water which discoiors IL so il cannot be
followed. Ii is dangerous to meet one I'm
protected. in the water, il can easily
GROWN man or woman IN its own element
Il knew of a distressing case of this kind,
which occurred in southeastern Alaska A
native woman waded into the water at low
tide to capture urchins. She went out
some distance and disappeared. When
search was made for her it was discovered
that devil fish had wrapped its arms
about and drowned her. pulling her be-
meath the water. When found the MON
ster was feeding on her body