NOTES ON WHALING IN SHETLAND, 1904 



67 



white. I am unable, as yet, to offer any solution of these 

 differences of colour, which may be due to age, or more 

 probably natural. In three which I photographed the 

 following variations are shown: (i) Bull, 46 feet, black, 

 some white on the bands between the grooves, upper side of 

 flipper white ; (2) bull, 30 feet, white, some black under 

 chin, upper side of flipper black ; (3) cow, 39 feet, black 

 with white blotches, upper side of flipper white, with one or 

 two dark marks at the extremity. 



MEG AFTER A. 

 Taken by Telephoto Lens by Dr. Mackay, Dundee. 



Every one of the ^legaptera is more or less covered with 

 barnacles (Coronula), and at the base of the barnacles and in 

 the grooves of the thorax are quantities of " lice " (Cyawus) 

 of a large size. The Norwegians say these whales try to rid 

 themselves of these parasites by rubbing against rocks. 



One of my Norwegian friends told me of a Megaptera, 

 caught off Finmark, 50 feet long, and 16 feet in diameter, 

 which yielded 125 barrels of oil; this, however, must have 

 been a most unusual case, the average yield of oil being 30 

 to 40 barrels. 



