COMMON FINBACK WHALE. 217 



Minnehaha passed through a large school of whales, many of which came A^ery near the vessel 

 (Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror, vol. 87, no. 8, .Vug. 25, 190()). 



1908. — About the 5th of July a sixty-foot whale, presumably a Finback, burst violently 

 into the floating fish trap of a Provincetown fisherman and caused great havoc. The whale 

 finally escaped (Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror, vol. 89, no. 2, July 11, 1908). 



The Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror of September 5th, 1908 (vol. 89, no. 10) reports that 

 whales had been seen occasionally to the south of the island during the few weeks preceding 

 by (lie local fisherman. A dead whale was reported at this time as having been passed about 

 five miles east-northeast of Nantucket liy an Italian steamer ))()und for New York. 



1909. — About the middle of July, a large school of whales was reported off Nantucket 

 South Shoal Lightship, by the United Fruit Company's steamer Esparta, from Costa Rica. 

 "The great school of whales stretched out as far as the eye could reach. The leviathans were 

 heading north and were evidently in pursuit of mackerel. Some of them moved right along 

 with the steamer for several miles. The officers of the steamer said they had never in their 

 experience seen so many whales" (Nantucket Inquirer and Mirror, vol. 90, no. 3, July 17, 

 1909). If this report is to be credited there were evidently great numbers of whales in 

 the school, "hundreds" according to the account, probably Finbacks in large part at least. 



1910. — The steamer Si. Hugo al)out the 7th of August, reported a school of whales some 

 eighteen miles outside Highland Light, Cape C'od, according to Boston papers. 



According to the Boston Journal of October 1st, 1910, two large whales had been observed in 

 and about Eastport Harbor, Maine, for nearly a month preceding until during the last week of 

 September their number was augmented to six. Probably they were Finbacks in part at least. 

 1912. — On January 17th, a Finback Whale was captured near Carlon's Island, three and 

 a half miles from Eastport, Maine. It had entered a shallow channel to the north of Eastport, 

 and on the fall of the tide was left stranded. Two Indians killed the whale and its oil was sub- 

 sequently tried out. I am indebted to Mr. Roscoe C. Emery for particulars of this capture. 



Dr. Henry B. Bigelow furnishes me a number of records of whales seen in the Gulf of 

 Maine during a month's cruise for oceanographic investigation, namely: 



July 15, two Finbacks at close range some ten miles southeast of Cape Ann, Mass. 

 July 16, one Finback about nine miles northeast-by-east of Halibut Point, Mass. 

 July 29, six large Finbacks were seen pursuing herring (which fishermen were also seining 

 from boats) off Casco Bay, Maine, about ten miles south-by-east of Ragged Island. 



Aug. 7, a Finback seen some five and a half miles southeast-by-south g south from the 

 Cape Elizabeth whistling buoy; another was seen the same day on Piatt's Bank off Cape 

 Elizabeth, Maine. 



Aug. 15, off Grand Manan, two large whales, apparently Finbacks, were seen; they were 

 in pursuit of herring according to the fishermen. 



