386 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
colours and markings could be easily seen through the water. 
They did not at any time leap out of the water like the Porpoises, 
but simply rose gradually to the surface to breathe, and sank 
again till their bodies were just covered, without slackening speed. 
According to the descriptions in the books which we have con- 
sulted, the back of this species should be mainly black ; but these 
individuals were of a light brown colour, in marked contrast to 
the jetty-skinned Porpoises, a number of which were splashing 
about at no great distance. 
Troms6 is one of the great whaling stations on the coast, 
and there were a number of carcases of whales in an unpleasant 
state of decay at various spots in the fjord. Three fine specimens 
of the Humpbacked Whale, Megaptera boops, had been captured 
close by a few days before our arrival, and were lying unmutilated 
near the town. There were two females and one male. The flippers, 
in one individual at least, were dark-coloured above, instead of 
being entirely white. The under parts of the body also were 
marbled with white. They were much infested with large sessile 
Balani (Coronula diadema), especially in the region of the anus 
and along the sides of the mouth; and a Lepadid (probably 
Conchoderma sp.) was obtained from one or other of the whales 
by a member of our party. 
In the neighbourhood of Tromsé, just opposite the town, 
and again further south, the presence of a Seal was indicated by 
the sudden rising out of the water of whole shoals of smail fish, 
but the animal was too wary to show his head above water. It 
was very interesting to see the Gulls carefully watching his 
movements, and darting on the fish driven by him to the surface. 
Perhaps one of the most striking phenomena to a naturalist in 
the Arctic Regions during the summer is the way in which the 
mammals and birds continue to seek their food, and roam about 
during the night as well as the day. It is true that we often saw 
Gulls roosting on the crags in small flocks in the bright glare of 
the midnight sun, but the Razorbill and Puffin were fishing in the 
sea and the Reindeer feeding on the summit of the North Cape, 
at 12 0’clock at night, and even a species of Humble-bee, Bombus 
brevigena, was at the same time collecting honey from the rich 
vegetation on the east side of the island of Magero. 
Among the birds the Raptores were represented by the great 
Sea Hagle, Aquila albicilla, of which a pair were seen soaring 
