368 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



such particulars as I was able to note about the different species 

 of Balcenopteridce found in those waters. 



We weighed from Vardo on the evening of August 26th, and, 

 leaving the Sound by the north entrance, made for the N.W. 

 The harpooner went up to the crow's nest while we were still in 

 the sand, and almost immediatel}^ saw a steamer hunting a 

 whale ; we steamed steadily ahead, and in the course of the 

 evening we saw three other whalers, one of which turned into 

 Sylte Fjord, where there is a factory. At ten o'clock, the 

 nights being already by this time of the year dark, the fires were 

 let down, and we ceased steaming, the vessel being allowed to 

 drift while it was too dark to see whales. We were under steam 

 again by three o'clock the next morning, and some time later 

 the harpooner (from aloft) saw a Common Rorqual, which spouted 

 three times and disappeared. At about eight o'clock a Hump- 

 back Whale {Mnidpiera) was sighted, so we turned after it 

 towards the north, across the bows of another whaler; at 8.30 

 the whale rose and blew close on our port quarter ; it next rose 

 a little ahead of us, and when it dived again we stopped. The 

 harpooner, who remains at the crow's nest for hours at a time if 

 no whale is sighted, comes down from aloft as soon as a chase 

 commences, and remains as it were glued to the gun fixed at the 

 extreme forward end of the forecastle ; he cannot even go below 

 for his meals, but has to snatch as best he can a hunk of bread 

 and meat brought him by the steward. The whale next rose 

 close on the starboard bow, heading to starboard. The harpooner 

 slewed the gun round as quick as lightning and fired, but the 

 whale (as small ones are said frequently to do) swerved at the 

 moment and the harpoon missed it, though it received a "smack" 

 from the shank of the harpoon, slightly grazing the skin. It 

 instantly dived, and next came up 150 or 200 yards away, when 

 it screamed more from fright than pain, I fancy, and then 

 disappeared. We hauled in the line, and proceeded to reload, 

 which latter operation takes all hands just half an hour to 

 accomplish. 



This is perhaps the best place to attempt a description of the 

 harpoon, and the gun from which it is fired. The harpoon-stock 

 (all of iron) is about five feet long. It has two pairs of folding 

 flukes, barbed, lying at right angles to each other ; the butt end 

 of the shank is enlarged and flattened at the extremity like a 



