66 



DISCOVERY REPORTS 



by members of the expedition are analysed. It is unfortunate that so few female whales 

 of this species were available for careful study. 



It is necessary to go back to the seasons 191 5-1 6 and 1916-17 to obtain data from the 

 southern whaling stations, because Humpback whales have been protected on the 

 southern grounds since then. Records for these years are given in Table XX, where 

 again the proportion of recorded pregnancies is very small, though it may in part be due 

 to careless examination. Even the records of careful examinations made by the Discovery 

 staff show a high proportion of non-pregnant whales (Table XXI). These records are 



Table XIX. Catches of male, fettiole, and pregnant female 

 Humpback whales at Natal 1924-8 



Table XX. Catches of ?nale, female and pregnant female 

 Humpback whales at South Georgia, 191 5-1 6 and 1916-17 



