86 ANNALS OF SCOTTISH NATURAL HISTORY 



Subsequently, as might be expected, on the establishment of the Fin 

 Whale fishery, it appeared evident that if any of these whales were 

 still frequenting their former summer quarters they were almost sure 

 to be met with by the Norwegian whalers, and such proved to be 

 the case; for in 1882 Dr. Guldberg discovered the remains of this 

 species on the Finmarken coast and expressed the opinion, from 

 reports and circumstances brought to his notice, that " considerable 

 numbers again yearly appear" on that coast. 1 In 1889 one was 

 taken by the Norwegian whalers south of Iceland; in 1890 six were 

 killed, in 1891 ten. Others may have been killed, but of that I 

 have no information till 1902, in July of which year one was killed, 

 and finally last season (1903) three others, all in the neighbourhood 

 of Iceland. It is thus evident that the chance of survival of this 

 species in these waters is very slight. 



The Atlantic Right Whale may at once be recognised by its 

 more bulky head, shorter in proportion than that of the Greenland 

 Whale, and by a curious warty growth (" the bonnet ") said always 

 to be present on the snout ; it is also generally much infested by 

 barnacles. The " bone," though much longer than that of any of 

 the Fin Whales, averages about 7 feet only, some two-thirds that 

 of its Polar relative ; it is also coarser, and therefore much less 

 valuable (Fig. i, Plate IV.). 



The great HUMP- BACKED WHALE (Megaptera longimana, 

 Rudolphi), the Kndl, Pukkalhval, or Troldhval of the Norwegians. 

 This whale is the only representative of its genus, and derives its 

 trivial name from its low, fleshy dorsal fin. It is a bulky, ungainly- 

 looking animal, from 40 to 50 feet long, black, with the exception 

 of the under surface of the tail and some white patches on the 

 chest. The flippers are very long and narrow, about 13 feet, black 

 above, white on the inner surface, strongly notched along the 

 inferior margin, and forming a very remarkable feature. The baleen 

 is short, the longest slip being about 2 feet long ; the bristles may 

 be gray or yellowish (Fig. 2, Plate IV.). Its food consists of small 

 fish and " Kril " (Thysanopoda inermis], with other small crustaceans, 

 but one found dead after indulging too freely in Cormorants, having 

 swallowed six, is supposed to have choked itself with the seventh. 



Although not difficult of approach, this species is not a favourite 

 with the whalers. It sinks when killed, and is difficult to recover, in 

 addition to which it yields only a small quantity of oil. Those of 

 us who remember the protracted struggle made by a whale of this 

 species which too confidingly frequented the mouth of the Tay in 

 the last days of 1883 will appreciate both its tenacity of life and 

 powers of resistance. It is usually much infested with a parasitic 

 Cirripede (Diadema coronula} and a whale louse (Cyamus). 



1 "Nature," vol. xxx. p. 148 (June 1884). 



