THE FINWHALE FISHERY OF FINMARK. 459 



flensed, I only saw two examples of this species during my stay 

 at Vai'do, as it was too late in the season for them ; and I was 

 fortunate in finding an unusually late season, as in most years, 

 arriving as late as I did (Aug. 21st), I should not have seen a 

 single example. The dates of the arrival at the factories of these 

 two specimens were August 22nd and 28th, having been killed 

 about the 20th or 21st, and on the 26th. The blubber is thickest . 

 on the neck and shoulders (about 8 or 10 in. with the skin, in a 

 specimen from fifty to sixty feet long), giving the animal a some- 

 what humpbacked appearance. Upper side dark slate-blue ; 

 under side a shade lighter ; no white about the body, but the 

 flippers are white on the under side, and are longer than those 

 of a Finner. The baleen is coal-black, including the bristles, 

 and is rather broader than the Common Eorqual's. The blow- 

 holes are situated in a very deep depression. The colouring of 

 this species generally, and the shape of the tail just in front of 

 the caudal fin, much more nearly resemble the figure of the 

 Common Eorqual in ' Seals and Whales of the British Seas,' 

 before referred to, than does that species in these particulars. 

 The Blue Whale is probably the first to leave the Finmarken 

 coast at the end of summer, the Finner next, and the Humpback 

 last ; but there are not many days interval between them all. 



In ' The Arctic Voyages of A. E. Nordenskiold,' p. 52, the 

 editor, Mr. Leslie (whether on his own authority or Nordenskiold's 

 is not stated), says — "It is probable that 'finners' never live in 

 colder water than 2-6° C. (= 36*14° F.), and that the northern 

 limit of their distribution coincides with sea of this temperature." 

 It seems remarkable that on this voyage, while whales ceased on 

 the outward passage in May, after lat. 75° 45', they were seen 

 again on the return passage in September as high as 78°. 



During my voyage to Spitzbergen in the autumn of 1882 

 (Zool. 1883), we saw Balcp,nopteridcE (all considered at the time 

 as Blue Whales, though I now think some of the smaller indi- 

 viduals seen may have been Humpbacks) on the way north, on 

 Sept. 1st, three or four specimens close to ice, in about lat. 75°; 

 temperature of the water 34*34° F. (= 1*3° C.) ,* two on Sept. 3rd, 

 in about lat. 75° 28', water 32*9° F. (= 0*5° C.) ; and on our way 

 south again we saw the first whale on Sept. 28th, in about lat. 

 75° 22', and others later that same day (temperature of water 

 was not taken). 



