RIGHT WHALES. 269 



with only occasional gusts of wind from the 

 valleys on the coast. 



We saw two huge Mysticeti, or &quot; right 

 whales,&quot; lazily rolling on the surface and 

 blowing sonorously, at one or two miles dis 

 tance. They remained so long above water 

 after each dive,, that it looked as if there would 

 be no great difficulty in harpooning them, 

 and only our want of proper tackle compelled 

 us reluctantly to abstain from making the ex 

 periment. 



The sea here swarms with incredible num 

 bers of minute Medusa3, on which these 

 whales were probably feeding when we saw 

 them. These animalcule also seem to be af 

 fording an inexhaustible banquet to gulls and 

 guillemots by the thousand. The latter are 

 the only things we ever take the lives of with 

 out intending to make any use of them after 

 wards ; but they afford such admirable marks 

 for rifle practice, that the slaughter of them is 

 perhaps justifiable, as affording a means to 

 an end. 



It is very amusing to watch the proceedings 

 of the parasitical gulls, of whom two or three 

 species exist here Larus parasiticus and 

 Larus glaucus ; the latter is called by the 



