86 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
will also dictate what further changes are desirable in their own 
interest if means are devised for carrying them into efiect. 
The Davis Straits whaling, which in the past season has been 
confined to the Dundee vessels, has been much more successful, 
if, owing to the very reduced value of the produce, not much 
more remunerative than that of 1883. Nine vessels visited the 
straits and returned with seventy-nine whales, the ‘Arctic’ 
heading the list with thirteen “‘fish”; these are estimated to 
yield 755 tons of oil and 89 tons of bone. Of the Peterhead ~ 
vessels three visited the Greenland fishery, the ‘ Eclipse’ cap- 
turing seven fine whales, the ‘Erik’ three (and fourteen Bottle- 
noses), and the ‘ Hope’ only one; these produced 157 tons of oil 
and 7 tons 12 cwt. of bone. The joint produce of the twelve 
vessels was ninety whales, yielding 912 tons of oil and 46} tons 
of bone (64 tons of which would probably be under six feet long, 
and therefore worth only half price); at an estimate of £26 per 
ton for the oil and £1500 per ton for the size-bone would repre- 
sent a sum of £88,587; but I am informed that Arctic produce 
is at present all but unsaleable. The whales proved fairly 
numerous, but were very shy and difficult of approach. 
- No White Whales were killed this year by the Davis Straits 
whalers, but, as Capt. Adams, late of the ‘Arctic,’ has been so 
kind as to give me some interesting particulars of the mode of 
proceeding in this fishery, I append them in his own words :— 
“The White Whale is very shy and easily scared, quick in its 
movements, and very keen-sighted; it is consequently very 
difficult to capture in deep water. It is generally taken in the 
shallow bays after the ice breaks away from the land. The 
Grampus is a great enemy to the White Whale, and great 
numbers of the latter are often driven by them into the shallows. 
The fishermen are on the watch for such a chance, and when it 
occurs all boats are sent in pursuit ; they are placed in a cordon 
round the school of fish, the boats being about equal distance 
apart and to the seaward of the fish; the boats gradually 
advance, driving the fish on shore at the most convenient place 
they can. When the tide recedes the White Whales are left 
aground or nearly so, and then the slaughter commences, the 
men jumping into the shallow water and despatching the fish 
with lances. Sometimes the fish turn and make a desperate 
rush seaward, great numbers escaping. Nets have occasionally 
