288 WHALES AND DOLPHINS 



the coast, and records exist of- its occurrence in the Baltic 

 Sea. 



The White Whale is only an occasional visitor to the British 

 coast, there being less than a dozen records of its occurrence in 

 the last 140 years. The latest instance to be reported was the 

 young animal already mentioned captured near Stirling on 

 the Firth of Forth in 1932. It was a young male, 8 feet 6 inches 

 long, having the dark mouse-grey colour of immaturity. 



The food of the White Whale consists of fish of considerable 

 size, cuttlefishes and crustaceans. Scammon tells us that 

 " when making prey of such bottom fish as flounder and 

 halibut it often darts into shallows where it can hardly float". 



The species is gregarious, moving about according to Scoresby 

 in families or herds five or ten together. It is said to advance 

 in lines seldom more than two or three abreast, or more fre- 

 quently in single file, spouting irregularly and showing little 

 of its form above the water. " When undulating along," 

 says Scammon, " it often makes a noise at the moment of 

 coming to the surface to respire which may be likened to the 

 faint lowing of an ox ; but the strain is not so prolonged." 



The skin of the White Whale is manufactured into valuable 

 leather, generally called " porpoise-hide ", which is used for 

 making boots and bootlaces. The animal is also hunted for 

 its oil and, in the Arctic, its flesh and blubber are used as food 

 for men and sledge dogs. 



Sir Sidney Harmer, in his ' History of Whaling ', states 

 on the authority of Collett : " The schools now found there 

 (Spitzbergen) during the summer months are inconsiderable 

 compared with those of the seventies of the last century. The 

 Tromso vessels were formerly able to kill about 2000 White 

 Whales annually, but since the nineties they have seldom 

 caught more than 300, and in certain years less than 20. 

 Collett adds : The capture of White Whales at Spitzbergen 

 may be said to be almost discontinued. Year by year they 

 go further to the east to find an unmolested place for breeding." 



Before ending the account of this species, reference should 

 be made to two attempts to keep specimens in the old West- 

 minster Aquarium. The first animal was brought across from 

 Labrador in i8yy and died four days after its arrival in London. 

 The second one, caught in the following year, was transported 



