130 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



WHALING IN SCOTLAND. 



By R. C. HALDANE, F.S.A. (Scot.). 

 PLATE IV. 



IN the "Annals of Scottish Natural History" for April 

 last year I contributed a paper on " Whaling in Shetland." 

 The results of the season of 1905 are now before me, and 

 are as follows 



B. imisculus. B. sibtaldii. B. borealis. Megaptera. Sperm. 

 Norrona Co. . . 73 ... 2 



Shetland Co. . 4^ 3 



Alexandra Co. . 87 I 



Olna Co. . . 164 5 27 5 i 



372 6 32 5 i 



The Olna station had also a Bottle-nose whale (Hypero- 

 odon rostratuwi) of 14 feet. To these must be added the 

 returns from the Buneveneader station, Harris, kindly 

 supplied by Herr Herlofson to Mr. Harvie-Brown, viz. 78 

 B. musculus, 3 i B. sibbaldii, 2 B. borealis, i Megaptera, and 

 4 Sperm whales. In 1904 this station got 37 B. nutsculus, 

 42 B. sibbaldii, 4 B. borealis, 5 Megaptera, and 5 Sperm 

 whales. 



In Shetland in 1903 two B. sibbaldii were seen, at the 

 close of the year, travelling south at a great pace. In 1904 

 none were got. This year 6 were killed by Shetland boats, 

 but contrast this with the 31 B. sibbaldii killed off Harris 

 this year, and 42 last. It affords some evidence as to the 

 migration of these whales. They appear to keep well off 

 the coast of Harris and steer straight for Iceland. Then, 

 again, this one station in two years killed nine Sperm whales, 

 whereas in Shetland waters only three of these whales have 

 been killed in as many years. This is a matter of great 

 interest, since it shows that Sperm whales during their 

 northern migration keep considerably west of the Hebrides, 

 and their presence in Shetland waters is, in all probability, 

 only accidental. What adds greater interest to the returns 

 of Herr Herlofson is that the Sperm whale killed on 23rd 

 June was a cow, 57 feet long and 37 in girth. Hitherto 

 it has been generally held, that Sperm whales occurring in 



