4H THE ZOOLOGIST, 



NOTES ON A VOYAGE TO THE GREENLAND SEAS 



IN 1886. 

 By Robert Gray. 



[The following notes, which I hope ma}- prove of some interest to your 

 readers, have been extracted from my journal of tlie voyage of tlie s. s. 

 'Eclipse' of Peterhead, David Gray, Master, to the Greenland Wliale 

 Fishery last season. I may state here that in former years the ' Eclipse' 

 had left Peterhead regularly for the Greenland Seal and Whale Fisliery 

 early in March ; but tlie small number of Seals obtained during the last 

 few years at the Seal-fishing, and the low price to which Seal-oil had fallen, 

 rendered the chance of obtaining a sufficient number of Seals to defray the 

 additional expense incurred in their capture so uncertain as to cause the 

 owners to delay the vessel's departure to the date mentioned below, sending 

 her out therefore with the intention of prosecuthig the Whale-fishing alone. 

 — R. G.l 



Leaving Peterhead on April 20th, the 'Eclipse' the day 

 following arrived at Lerwick. While here fifteen Shetland men 

 were shipped to complete our crew of fifty-five hands all told. 

 Sundry preparations being completed, on the forenoon of the 

 22nd the 'Eclipse' got under way, and before the sun set the 

 lofty cliffs of Noss faded dimly in the distance astern. 



The 23rd saw us well clear of land ; already we noticed with 

 interest unmistakable signs of our advance to the northward. 

 Seventy miles N. of Lambaness the first Mallemokes, Procellaria 

 glacialis, were seen ; some thirty miles further north several schools 

 of Bottle-nose Whales, Hyperooclon rostratus. They appeared to 

 be feeding — not on their northward journey, as we have noticed 

 them year after year in the same latitude, some six weeks earlier 

 in the season. Also a few Kittiwakes, Rissa tridactyla, and 

 Gannets, S^lla hassana, were noticed, and just before dark a 

 small bird, believed to be a Snow-flake, Plectrophanes nivalis, 

 was seen fluttering about the rigging, but unfortunately it was 

 not captured to prove its identity. 



Continuing to steam to the northward we experienced remark- 

 ably fine weather until the evening of the 2J:th, when the wind 

 freshened from the northward, and the sea began to rise. In the 

 evening a few Bottle-nose Whales were seen going southwards, 

 and at the same time a Killer Whale, Orca gladiator, easily 

 recognised by the height of its dorsal fin, pursuing a similar 



