WHALE HUNTING WITH GUN AND CAMERA 



the world has a pool large enough to contain a school 

 of such lively ocean rangers. 



During the months these animals lived under Dr. 

 Townsend's eyes, he was given an opportunity such 

 as no other naturalist has ever had to study and ob- 

 serve their habits and daily life. The results of his 

 observations have been published by the New York 

 Zoological Society * and with Dr. Townsend's permis- 

 sion I am quoting in this chapter portions of his in- 

 teresting paper and republishing several of his pho- 

 tographs,. 



Cape Hatteras is the only point in North America where 

 a porpoise fishery has ever been regularly conducted, and 

 where such animals can be taken near the shore and beached 

 with drag seines. The Bottle-nosed porpoise winters off 

 our South Atlantic coast and is quite common in the vicinity 

 of Cape Hatteras during the fall, winter and spring months. 

 Schools of porpoises may be seen passing every day just 

 outside the surf. 



They are taken with a net of extra heavy twine, about 

 one thousand feet long, which is placed about two hundred 

 yards outside the line of surf and parallel with it. At each 

 end there is a boat in waiting, ready to carry the haul lines 

 directly ashore as soon as a band of porpoises has passed 

 between the net and the surf. After the lines have been 

 carried ashore the porpoises are considered fairly secure, 

 for they do not often attempt to cross the haul lines, and 

 even when they do, can usually be frightened back by having 

 someone shake each line continuously while it is being 

 hauled in. 



It requires considerable time to bring the ends of the 

 big seine to the beach, but even then some of the porpoises 



1 "The Porpoise in Captivity." By Charles Haskins Townsend. 

 Zoologica, Vol. I, No. 16. 



280 



