268 HISTORY AND METHODS OP THE FISHERIES. 



of San Francisco, tell me that they use the Cunningham & Cogan shoulder-gun in killing bowhead 

 whales, and that the bomb-lance may be fired effectively from 60 to 90 feet. The Pierce & Eggers 

 gun is sighted for 20 yards, and will shoot accurately at that range, but I am told it is also effect- 

 ive at 40 yards.* 



MATERNAL AFFECTION OF WHALES. The implement known as the "drug," or "drag," is often 

 used successfully during the capture. It may be fastened to a wounded adult by means of a har- 

 poon, called a " drug-iron," to retard the progressive motion of the animal in order that it may more 

 easily be killed ; or it may be used advantageously when a school is attacked, by fastening it to 

 a calf whale to attract the mother or other sympathizing cows. Such a process is called " drugging 

 a whale." The harpooner never throws his " drug-iron " into the calf with the intention of killing 

 it, for if the little "sucker" dies the females forsake it. If alive and struggling energetically in 

 the water, the dam swims about it and endeavors to assist it in making its escape. It is very gen- 

 erally conceded that the same maternal devotion for the young that characterizes both the higher 

 and lower orders of land animals is also shared by the marine mammalia, and the whalemen, taking 

 advantage of this, oftentimes make captures that could not otherwise be effected. Paul Dudley 

 says : " The care of their young is very remarkable ; they not only carry them on their tails, and 

 suckling them, but often rising with them for the benefit of the air; and however they are chased 

 or wounded, yet as long as they have sense and perceive life in their young, they will never leave 

 them, nor will they then strike with their tail, and if, in their running, the young one loses his 

 hold and drops off the dam comes about, and passing underneath, takes it on again. And there- 

 fore cai'e is taken by those who kill these mate fish (as they are called) only to fasten the calf, but 

 not to kill her, till they have first secured the cow. For so soon as ever the calf is dead the cow 

 perceives it, and grows so violent that there is no managing her."t 



Captain Manby gives an interesting accountf of the maternal affection shown by cow whales. 

 He says : 



" Nothing can surpass the tender attachment and maternal attention which a female whale 

 will sometimes manifest if her young one be harpooned; she joins it at the surface whenever it 

 has occasion to rise for respiration, encourages it to swim off, assists its flight by taking it under 

 her fin, and seldom deserts it while life remains. She is then dangerous to approach, but affords 

 frequent opportunities for attack. She loses all regard for her own safety in anxiety for the 

 preservation of her young ; dashes through the midst of her enemies ; despises the dangers that 

 threaten her ; and even voluntarily remains with her offspring after various attacks on herself 

 from the harpoons of the fishers. An extraordinary instance of this is related by Captain 

 Scoresby : ' In June, 1811, one of my harpooners struck a sucker, with the hope of its leading to 

 the capture of the mother. Presently she arose close to the fast boat, and, seizing the young one, 

 dragged out of the boat about 100 fathoms of line with remarkable force and velocity ; again she 

 arose to the surface, darted furiously to and fro, frequently stopped short and suddenly changed 

 her direction, and gave every possible indication of extreme agony. For a length of time she 

 continued to act thus, although closely pursued by the boats; and, inspired with courage and 

 resolution for the welfare of her offspring, seemed regardless of the dangers which surrounded 

 herself. At length one of the boats approached so near that a harpoon was thrown at her; it 



* With a load of 2f drams of powder the Pierce & Eggers gun discharged a Pierce bomb-lance three times into 

 a solid piue block 11 inches square at a distance of 20 yards. Twice the lance penetrated the block 9 inches and 

 once 9| inches. FRANK E. BROWN, New Bedford, Mass. 



tPhilos. Trans., vol. xxxiii, 1726, p. 261. Paul Dudley is in error when he says whales carry their young as he 

 has mentioned. J. T. B. 



t Voyage to Greenland, 1822, pp. 33, 34. 



