68 THE WHALEBOlSrE WHALES OF THE WESTERN NORTH ATLANTIC. 



beneath the surface. Thousands of sea birds were hovering over or around the 

 busy scene." ' 



[finbacks at unalaska.] 



" There was a large school of Finback whales feeding in Broad Bay, during the 

 day [August 21, 1890J, which paid but little attention to us, simply moving out of 

 the way or diving under the ship when we approached them. On one occasion the 

 same school was seen playing around a whaler, but no attention was paid to them. 

 Nothino- but merchantable bone will tempt the modern whaleman. We returned 

 to port the same evening."- 



[sAN SIMEON BAY WHALING STATION, CALIFORNIA.] 



"Seven whales were taken during each of the seasons 1888 and 1889. Those 

 obtained in 1888 yielded 180 barrels of oil, while 260 barrels were taken from the 

 catch of 1889. This diffei'ence was due to the larger size of the whales in the latter 

 year. Whales fi'equent this region during the months of December, January, and Feb- 

 ruary, but in some years a few are seen as late as the middle of Mai'ch. It is duiing 

 these months that the 'down run' takes place. The 'up run' is of shorter dura- 

 tion, lasting as a rule from four to six weeks. While moving south the wliales ai-e 

 invariably fat, containing 50 per cent, moi-e oil than on the return north. Twenty- 

 one men and nine boats are employed at tliis station during the whaling season. 

 Only two men are retained in the summer, to look after the boats and Iniildings. 

 The ciew I'eceives a lay of one-fiftieh, the hai-poouer or shooter (the harpoon being 

 fired from a gun) one-sixteenth."^ 



2. Records of the Colonial Shore Whale-fishery. 



The available records of this fishery, which had foi' its object the capture of 

 the Right whale, Balcena glackdis, are scattered through the publications of the 

 historical societies of the several States, the published official archives, and various 

 State and town histories. The items contained in these I'ecords are chiefly of an 

 industrial nature, but among them are many bits of natural history. To pick these 

 out f]-oni the great mass of other material is a time-consuming operation, but may 

 on the whole be considered as repaying the effort required. A part of this matter 

 has been referred to, or mentioned, in Starbuck's Histoiy of the American "Whale 

 Fishery,'' and again in Clark's History of the Ameiican Whale Fisheiy,^ but both 

 these works are concerned primarily with industrial matters, and only incidentally 

 touch upon the natural history of the whales. The following items from Star- 

 buck's histoiy are of intei-est in the present connection as indicating the seasons in 

 which whales were captui'ed, etc. : 



' Tanner, Z. T.., Report on Investigations of the U. S. Fish Com. Steamer Albatross, 1889-91. 

 Bept. U. S. Fish Com., 17, 1893, p. 226. 



' Op. cit., p. 245. ■ Op. cit., p. 279. 



' Starbuck, Alex., History of the American Whale Fishery, from its earliest inception to the 

 year 1876. Kept. U. S. Fish Com., part 4, 1878 ; Appendix A, pp. 1-768, pis. 1-6. 



' Clark, A. Howard, History and Present Condition of the Fishery. Fisheries and Fishery 

 Indiist. of the U. S., Sect. 5, vol. 2, 1887, 3-218. 



