WHALING IN SCOTLAND 131 



these northern seas were always males, 1 but this proves that 

 cows do come north, but certainly very rarely. I will, how- 

 ever, allude to Sperm whales later on. 



BAL/ENOPTERA MUSCULUS. 



The returns from the stations for this species killed in 1905 are 

 interesting. 



To get at the average length of the adult whale, I last year 

 deducted from the total all whales under 56 feet as immature, which 

 will give us for 1905 : 



Average of bulls, 62.2 feet. Average of cows, 64.0 feet. 

 Against 1904 



Average of bulls, 62.9 feet. Average of cows, 66.0 feet. 



The largest whales killed at the stations in 1905 



Norrona . . Bulls, 70, So, 70, 70, 70. 



Shetland . ,, 67, 66. 



Alexandra . ,, 70, 67, 67. 



Olna ... 65, 66, 66, 68, 67, 68. 



Buneveneader ,, 70, 76, 77, 71, 70. 



Cows, So, 70, 70, 70, 70, 77. 

 ,, 68|, 69, 71, 71, 72, 70. 

 ,, 70, 70, 70, 72, 75, 72. 

 ,, 69, 69, 69, 70, 69. 

 .1 70, 76, 77, 72, 72. 



The bulls killed this year seem to be of unusual length. The 

 monster of So feet I was told was the largest Finner bull whale 

 the Norwegians had ever seen, the girth was estimated at 36 feet. 

 The cow of the same size was equally gigantic and contained a foetus 

 of 2 feet 3 inches long. In June, about fifty miles north of Shetland, 

 I saw a school of four whales, of which one of 65 feet was killed, 

 but there was one much larger which escaped. It was certainly 10 

 feet longer than the one we got, and of far greater bulk. 



The girth, or estimated girths, of these whales varies greatly, 

 according to the condition of the whales. One station gives bulls 

 of 76 and 77 feet each, 35 feet in girth; one of 70 feet, 34 feet; 



1 See "Encyclopedia Brittanica." Article on 'Whales.' 



