WHALE MARKING II 



passages out and home and are not included; nor are those marked by R.R.S. 'Discovery 11', all of 

 which lie outside these charts. The numbers represented on the charts are : 



Charts are omitted where the number of whales marked during the month does not exceed ten ; in 

 the table these occurrences are indicated by the numbers in brackets. 



The marking seasons have been of very variable lengths. On the eastern grounds the ' William 

 Scoresby ' marked for three seasons (1934-5, ^935-6 and 1936-7), commencing early in December and 

 ending in March. On the South Georgia grounds the hired whale catcher started operations towards 

 the end of November or in December, and continued to mid-January or early February. The ' William 

 Scoresby's' season on the western grounds (1937-8) lasted from November to the latter half of 

 February. No single month is complete for every season and expedition. 



DISTRIBUTION OF WHALES MARKED 



I. BLUE WHALES 

 (a) Western Area 



(i) November (Plate Va). A few Blue whales have been marked during this month east of 

 South Georgia on the grounds frequented by the whalers. The 'William Scoresby' in 1937 marked 

 a few odd whales to the eastward between latitudes 56 and 58° S. 



(2) December (Plate Vb). Fair numbers were marked during this month south and east of South 

 Georgia, mostly in 1934 and 1935. No Blue whales were marked from South Georgia in 1936. The 

 'William Scoresby' marked a very few near the Greenwich meridian at the extreme point of an 

 easterly cruise. 



(3) January (Plate VI). Few Blue whales were marked — less than half the December total — and 

 these, to the south-east, south and west of South Georgia, were virtually all marked in 1935. 



In February only one Blue whale was marked, and that was to the west of Grahamland. Only one 

 Blue whale was marked in the South Georgia area during the season 1936-7. 



(b) Easter 71 Area 



The ' William Scoresby ' was never very successful in the pursuit of Blue whales, and on no occasion 

 were large numbers marked, the most successful season being 1936-7. 



(i) December (Plate VII). A few were marked in this month in ones and twos, their distribution 

 showing the arrival of the vessel at the pack-ice edge south of South Africa at the beginning of the 

 season and the progress eastwards from there. 



(2) January (Plate VIII). The small number of 105 marked in this month falls into an eastern group, 

 mostly marked in 1937, and a western group off Enderby Land, mostly marked in 193"^. The season 

 1935-6 yielded few Blue whales in this month. 



