Five cases of cetacean stranding were recorded in the coasts of Yamagata Prefecture, Japan during 1998-1999. The cetaceans were identified as four Mesoplodon stejnegeri and one Lagenorhynchus obliquidens. Three of them were pathologically examined in the field or laboratory. Some new biological data were obtained ; however causes of stranding and death still remains unsolved. During the last seven years, thirteen cases of cetacean stranding were recorded in Yamagata Prefecture, including the five above. Ten were M. stejnegeri. Therefore, like along other stretches of the Sea of Japan coast, the stranded species are more likely to be M. stejnegeri than any other species. Further stranding surveys will be required to understand which cetacean species live in the Sea of Japan and to know their biological characteristics.

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The number of blue whales throughout the world has only made a small recovery. After the whaling days, in the beginning of 1992, blue whales began showing up in small numbers along the coast of California and Baja California. Researchers have identified many blue whales by photographing areas around their dorsal fins and flukes. Over 800 individuals have already been identified off the California coast from Mexico to Oregon. We have contributed by taking photos and viedeos. Photographic identification of individuals has given new information including behavioral patterns of blue whales. We think that it is useful for studying the migration of blue whales and their population. We had good opportunities to see them sometimes during 1994-2000. Over the years, it seems that blue whales are becoming used to the presence of our boats. Also we have taken photos of sperm whales and killer whales for identification in our survey. It is very useful to know their population and it is very important to know the relationship between the individual whales. We will introduce our topics with photos.

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Bequia Island of St. Vincent and the Grenadines, the subject of this report, lies on the latitude 13 degrees north and the longitude 61 degrees 15 minutes west. It has a total area of 18.1 square kilometers and a population of 4,874. In Bequia, whaling was started in 1875 or 1876 and reached its peak circa 1910 when about 100 men were engaged in catching and processing of humpback whales. Since 1925, whaling in the Caribbean has been limited to Bequia, and the island economy has been seriously affected by the success in catching a few whales a year. Although there was a certain danger of extinction of whaling culture, it has managed to survive until today. The aim of this report is to describe the current situation of whaling activity in Bequia. Only seven humpback whales have been captured since 1991 when I started field research (one in 1992, two in 1993, two in 1998 and two in 1999). There was no catch during the four years between 1994 and 1997. It was the transitional time of whaling technique from an old generation to a new generation for these four years. It was the whaling culture that was endangered at that time. A harpooner of an old generation and a harpooner of a new generation each succeeded in capturing a whale in the year of 1998 and 1999. As a result of success for these two years, the whaling technique seems to have been handed down from an old generation to a new generation. A whale caught is processed at the shore station in Petit Nevis, a small uninhabited island near Bequia, and whale meat is sold to Bequians on the spot. The islanders who purchased whale meat cook it at the place and eat it, and they also bring it back home to distribute it among their family, relatives and friends. Local consumption of whale meat is very important for them. Because of a quota of two humpback whales per year imposed by the International Whaling Commission, they can not catch a whale freely. Besides, a whale is not always captured annually. However, Bequians go out for purchasing whale meat whenever a whale was captured. The islanders fully recognize that they are inhabitants of an island of whaling by eating whale meat. To satisfy them culturally is one thing, and to satisfy them nutritionally is another. They are not troubled nutritionally even if they don't eat whale meat. But they need to eat it culturally. Although environmentalists respect animal rights, they neglect human rights. We should protect Bequians' right to catch a humpback whale. For the people in Bequia, whaling is a way of life that makes it worth living.

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1999年１月27日に、新潟県刈羽郡西山町石地海岸へ漂着死したミンク（コイワシ）クジラ（Balaenoptera acutorostrata）（全長562cm）と、1998年10月14日に、新潟県村上市三面川河口付近へ生きたまま漂着したハナゴンドウ（Grampus griseus）（全長269cm）の卵巣を、組織学的に観察し、成熟度を確かめてみた。ハナゴンドウは、新潟市水族館へ運び、回復を図ったが、翌日死亡した。卵巣重量は計測できなかったが、ミンク卵巣長径は112～125mm、短径は25～28mm、ハナゴンドウの卵巣長径は45～50mm、短径は15～18mmであった。肉眼観察では、各卵巣葉はいずれも背腹両面共に円滑で、発達した卵胞の隆起や白体・黄体は認められず、未成熟状態のものと推定された。ハナゴンドウのＣ葉には、結合組織塊より成る円盤状隆起が付着していた。顕微鏡観察では、いずれの卵巣葉も皮質部は原始および一次卵胞で占められ、二次卵胞は少なく、グラーフ卵胞はまれに認められたにすぎない。いずれの発育段階の卵胞も、閉鎖退行状態に陥っているものがみられた。黄体や白体は全く観察されず、排卵の兆候もなく、両種ともに未成熟体とみなされた。

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　In the Jomon period, dolphin and whale resources were actively exploited in three areas： 1. Coast of Nemuro to Kushiro, and Hunka bay (Hokkaido Pref.) 2. Coast of Toyama bay (Toyama and Ishikawa Pref.) 3. Coast of Tokyo bay (Chiba, Tokyo, and Kanagawa Pref.) 　This paper focuses on the coast of Tokyo bay, and examined how the whale and dolphin were exploited. In Tokyo bay, there were two exploitative situations of those resources. At the recess of the bay, we can find very few remains of whales. On the other hand, we can find many remains of dolphin and whole parts of the body at the entrance of the bay. However, other resources and products, especially obsidian and shell bracelet, show that the Jomon community had a trading system, so I think dolphin and whale resources were also probably divided along their network system.

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The Early Pleistocene Omma Formation was distributed around Kanazawa City, Ishikawa Prefecture. The Omma Formation was composed of mainly fine to medium- grained sandstone. The formation yield over 250 species molluscs (Matsuura, 1996a) and vertebrates of 36 samples including cetaceans were recorded (Matsuura, 1996b). In addition to those, new cetacean fossils of 9 specimens were known since 1996 from the distribution area of the Omma Formation in Kanazawa. And an only specimen of those was found from the Middle Miocene Saikawa Formation. The total cetacean fossils were 24 specimens from the area, and they were as follows : cetacean vertebrae and premaxilla, mysticetian (including families of Balaeopteridae, Eschrichtiidae and Cetotheriidae) mandibles, skull, vertebrae and radius, and odontocetian (including families Delphinidae and Globicephalidae) vertebrae, humerus and tooth.

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