184 The Story of the New England Whalers 



for their wounded companion, and circling about 

 it huddled as if to ask, 'What's the matter?' 

 With bowhead whales the cry is something like 

 the hoo-oo-oo of the hoot owl, although longer 

 drawn out and more of a humming sound than 

 a hoot. Beginning on F the tone may rise to G, 

 A, B, and sometimes to C before slanting back 

 to F again. With the humpback whale the tone 

 is much finer, often sounding something like the 

 E string of a violin." 



On page 212 of Goode's The Whale Fishery is 

 the following: 



"Sperm whales travel the seas in great herds, 

 from one hundred to three hundred, and they 

 are said to acknowledge a leader, who swims 

 in advance and gives the signal of combat or 

 flight by uttering a peculiar roar." 



In Notes on the Challenger by H. N. Mosely, 

 it is said regarding the "singing" of the southern 

 "finners," "The expiratory sound is very loud 

 when heard close by, and is a sort of deep bass 

 snort, extremely long, loud and somewhat pro- 

 longed; it might even be compared to the sound 

 produced by the rushing of steam at high pressure 

 from a large pipe." 



