Mr. A. Newton on the Zoology of Spitsbergen. 431 



The same day we sighted Bear Island, which on our outward voy- 

 age we had not seen, owing to the fog ; and on the 27th we reached 

 Hammerfest. 



It remains for me to add a few words on the Cetaceans we saw. I 

 have already mentioned Beluga catodon, which we observed also on 

 two other occasions. This is the only species of which I can speak 

 definitely, though we certainly saw at least four others. Of these, the 

 first was a large black Fin-backed Whale, noticed three or four times ; 

 the second a smaller animal, perhaps about thirty or forty feet 

 long, of which some half a dozen came and played round the yacht on 

 the 1 2th of August. In general form, especially in the esocine 

 shape of the head, these corresponded very closely with the engraving 

 given by Dr. Scoresby (Arctic Regions, vol. ii. pi. 13. f. 2) as that 

 of Baleena rostrata ( = Balcenoptera rostrata, J. E. Gray); but I 

 rather hesitate to refer them positively to that species, on account 

 of their colour, which was apparently of a uniform light reddish 

 brown. I had an excellent opportunity of observing these Whales, 

 for they kept with us about a quarter of an hour, sometimes passing 

 under the ship, and often coming up close alongside, within perhaps 

 thirty yards. On the following day I saw a school of Grampuses, 

 with extremely long and high dorsal fins ; but this was the only oc- 

 casion on which this species was noticed. Some kind of Porpoise, 

 on the contrary, was seen more than once*. In addition to these 

 Cetaceans, the Right Whale (Baleena Mysticetus) and the Narwhal 

 (Monodon monoceros) are well known to inhabit the Spitsbergen 

 seas. Mr. Malmgren, in his careful paper before alluded to, enu- 

 merates six or perhaps seven species of Whales, not reckoning a 

 Porpoise. We therefore have seven or eight Cetaceans, seven Car- 

 nivores (including XJrsus maritimus, on which I have no remark to 

 make), and one Ruminant as the sum total of the Mammalian fauna 

 of Spitsbergen. Without extending these notes by going into details, 

 I may here state that I think the bird-fauna cannot be reckoned at 

 more than twenty-seven species. We therefore have the singular 

 result of a country, say as large as Ireland, where the number of 

 Mammalian bears to the number of Ornithic species the ratio of 15 or 

 16 to 27. 



hooked, he is hauled up on deck by a windlass, and beaten on the head until he 

 is motionless. His liver, which alone is required of him, is then cut out ; and, 

 his entrails being fully inflated with air, his body is heaved overboard to float away 

 quite clear of the vessel. The cause of this apparently wanton, cruelty is alleged 

 to be the difficulty of otherwise disposing of the carcase ; for the fishermen say 

 that if the animal were killed, they would not catch another Shark until the dead 

 one was entirely eaten up by his brethren, a process that might involve a delay 

 of some days. 



* I feel very confident of the truth of this statement ; but I find no mention 

 made of any Porpoise in the Spitsbergen seas by either Scoresby or Malmgren. 

 This fact 1 unfortunately had not noticed until my return home ; so that (Porpoises 

 being in general of so common occurrence on a sea voyage) I neglected to record, 

 as I otherwise should certainly have done, the dates and localities of their appear- 

 ance. It is of course possible that what I took to be Porpoises were only the 

 young of some larger Cetacean ; but I do not think this was the case. 



