94 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



NOTES ON A VOYAGE TO THE GREENLAND SEAS 



IN 1886. 



By Egbert Gray. 



(Continued from p. 57.) 



A CONTINUATION of nortlierly winds, strong generally to the 

 force of a gale, had not the effect, as might naturally be supposed, 

 of causing any remarkable change in the position of the ice. 

 Beyond a certain limit it continued to remain close and im- 

 penetrable. No blueness of the western sky indicated open 

 water and invited approach ; all in that direction presented a 

 uniform and dazzling whiteness, sea and sky ! Along the edge of 

 this impenetrable mass, however, a belt of navigable ice, 

 extending seawards some fifty miles, was gradually formed. In 

 this area we continued cruising in search of whales. Floes and 

 fields lay scattered about in careless-like confusion with packs 

 and streams of broken-up ice ; Polar bears were seem almost 

 daily, stalking about on the ice-fields, doubtless attracted b}'^ the 

 vast numbers of Floe-rats {Phoca liisjnda). Narwhals were in 

 hundreds to be seen almost at all times more or less abundant. 

 Looms and Eotches there were without number, Dovekies {Uria 

 grxjlle), Puffins {Fratercula arctica), Snow-birds, Burgomasters, 

 Kittiwakes {Rissa tridactyla), were also numerous ; the sea Avas 

 generally grass-green in colour, and always contained an 

 abundance of the various forms of Entomostraca, Pteropoda, 

 Gasteropoda and Medusidse, &c., which go to constitute the 

 food of the whale. Nothing in fact was wanting to comiDlete a 

 perfect resort for the Greenland Eight Whale, its food was in 

 abundance, the surroundings were apparently congenial to its 

 habits, and still more, the time it was when these animals are 

 wont to frequent this part of the Arctic Seas for a considerable 

 period. 



June 5th. Spoke the s.s. " Erik." Capt. A. Gray told us 

 that on the 3rd inst., in lat. 70° 15' N., 2° 30'. E., a large Finner 

 {B. sibhaldii) was seen for several hours, feeding amongst the ice 

 near his ship, accompanied by two calves. 



June Gth. Saw three whales * ; one of these we captured, a 



*It is scarcely necessary to explain that when the word "whale" is used 

 B. mysticetus is implied. 



