320 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
Kittiwakes, who settled in its wake, and whenever the animal 
disturbed the water in its ascent or descent these birds flocked to 
the spot, and were busily employed in feeding.” Doubtless the 
agitation of the water brought the fish to the surface. 
On the 5th July we were off Rifkol Island, in the district of 
Egedesminde, the high land of the island of Disco coming in view. 
During the last century this portion of Davis Strait afforded a 
lucrative fishing-ground for the true whale, Balena mysticetus. 
The mysticetus is now a comparatively scarce visitor to those 
shores, the and fishery has declined so greatly that only from 
the settlement of Holstenberg do the Greenlanders now-a-days 
continue the pursuit, and during a long period it has averaged 
but one “fish” each season. The ice-quarter-masters on board 
our vessels being experienced whalers from the Scotch ports, 
and having “fished” for many years in the Greenland Sea, 
Davis Strait, Baffin Sea, and to the west of Lancaster Sound, 
gave me much interesting information in regard to the natural 
history of the true whale. Like most of the Cetacea, as far as has 
been observed, these animals couple in an upright position. One 
of our ice-quartermasters assured me that he once observed a pair 
of true whales in this position with their tails only above water. 
Captain Markham informed me that when in pursuit of Narwhals 
in Lancaster Sound a pair were observed in an upright position. 
On striking the female, which was secured, the harpoon passed into 
the male, which finally made good his escape, though severely 
wounded. 
Early in the morning of the 6th July we made the south-west of 
Disco Island under sail. Then we steamed along its southern 
shore, passing under the lofty mural cliffs of Uvfak; its basalt 
beds appeared very horizontal, and the general appearance of the 
cliffs greatly reminded me of the Feroe Islands. Hundreds of 
icebergs, chiefly discharged from Jakobshavn ice-fiord, were 
scattered over the surface of Disco Bay. It was a scene of great 
beauty: an unclouded sky, a perfectly smooth sea, with the strange 
surroundings of the enormous icebergs. Animal life was not 
wanting, hundreds of Iceland Gulls and Fulmars perched on the 
bergs, flocks of Common and King Eiders flew past us every few 
minutes, whilst Black Guillemots, the “dovekie” of Arctic 
navigators, paddled away from the approaching ship. 
(To be continued.) 
