North-Allaniic Fin- Whale Fishery. 405 



and subsequently of other centres in tlie Faroe and Shetland 

 Islands. 



On the western side of tlie Atlantic also, in the year 1898, 

 a company, under tlie name of the " Cabot Steam Whaling 

 Corapany,^^ commenced operations, tlius becoming the pioneer 

 of quite a fleet of vessels now engaged in this fishery from 

 Newfoundland. 



It is to a comparison of the results obtained in these three 

 centres, remote from each other, tiiat I wish now to call 

 attention. It may here be remarked that just as happened 

 when the fishery for Balcena hiscayensis in the temperate 

 water of the North Atlantic was abandoned in favour of that 

 of B. mysticetus in the Polar seas, the skill and seamanship 

 of the old Basque whalers were still requisitioned, so now in the 

 extension of this new industry in Europe and America it is 

 the Norwegian originators who fill the positions requiring 

 exp.ertness and experience. 



In ihe following notes I purpose to examine, taking each 

 species in succession, the results of the operations in the three 

 great centres of the industry, with a view to ascertaining if 

 possible whether any racial variation is to be observed in the 

 members of the same species frequenting the several localities, 

 as indicated by apja-eciable differences in their habits, 

 frequency, or external characters. I shall therefore, avoiding 

 as much as possible the commercial aspect of the question, 

 confine my remarks mainly to the comparative abundance of 

 each species with any departures from the normal type, the 

 season of their occurrence, proportionate numbers of the 

 sexes, period of gestation, number of young produced, and 

 such minor considerations as may help to throw light upon 

 the identity or otherwise of the races frequenting the localities 

 under consideration. 



As the pioneers of this industry the Norwegians claim our 

 first attention, and it is desirable to use the statistics of a 

 somewhat early period in order that they may be as distinct as 

 possible from those of the more southern areas, which were 

 invaded later on. I am therefore especially fortunate in being- 

 allowed, through the kindness of Mr. Alfred Heneage Cocks, 

 to use the statistics collected by that gentleman during his 

 visits to the Finmarken whaling-stations in the years 1883 

 to 1889*, on which what follows is mainly based. 



The field of operation in the first instance was contiguous 

 to the coast, the whales, especially the large blue whale 

 (/>. iSihbaldii), penetrating far into the fjords in search of 



* ' Zoulogist/ 1884-1890. 



