ON THE WHALE FISHERY FROM SCOTLAND 89 



In the above descriptions I have given the Norwegian names of 

 the different species, as they are those probably used by the men of 

 that country at present fishing from Scotland. 



It would be interesting to know the dates of arrival and departure 

 of the various species on our coast, also the relative numbers of 

 each kind killed. It is stated that of 3664 whales killed by the 

 Finmarken whalers in four years, 9.22 per cent were Blue Whales, 

 51.83 Common Rorquals, 32.51 Rudolphi's Rorquals, and 6.44 per 

 cent Hump-backs. It does not, however, follow that each species 

 occurs in these proportions ; for the hunters would naturally select 

 those which are most profitable, to the exclusion of the others, 

 and the numbers of each which put in an appearance in any given 

 year are by no means constant. 



One is often disappointed on reading the announcement of a 

 " whale ashore " at finding that not a single feature is mentioned by 

 which its species could be determined ; and as all those mentioned 

 above may be met with in Scottish waters, I hope that the particulars 

 here given may be found serviceable in their identification. 



I am greatly indebted for many of the above particulars to the 

 excellent papers on the " Norwegian Fin Whale Fishery " published 

 from time to time by Mr. Alfred Heneage Cocks and by Professor 

 Collett of Christiania, both of which gentlemen have enjoyed (?) the 

 privilege of examining, under the most favourable circumstances, 

 many of these animals at the factories there ; and the value of their 

 investigations will be appreciated by those who have experienced 

 the difficulty of making a critical examination of such specimens as 

 have been stranded from time to time on our shores. 



EXPLANATION OF PLATE IV. 



Fig. I. Bahcna biscayensis (Nordkaper) 97 cm. long, 10.5 cm. broad. 

 2. Megaptera longimana (Knolhval) 34 1 6 



3. Balccnoptera musculns (Sildehval) 85 



4. B. sibbaldii (Blahval) . . 95 



5. B. boreal is (Seihval) . -72 



6. B. rostrata (Vaagehval) . -25 



34 

 43 

 17 

 10 



These are the actual measurements of the specimens figured, but Dr. James A. 

 Grieg, of Bergen, to whom I wish to express my great indebtedness for the 

 photograph from which the plate is reproduced, has also kindly supplied me with 

 the following measurements of specimens of baleen in the Bergen Museum : 



Long. Broad. 



Balana biscayensis . . . 215 cm. 21 cm. 



Megaptera longimana . . . 73 ,, 24. 5 ,, 



Bahznoptera sibbaldii . . . Iio,, 43,, 



B. borealis ..... 7^ ,, 25 ,, 



[TABLE. 



