136 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



numerous, great numbers of them sitting on the hummocks ; 

 one Polar Bear was seen. 



The day following having been led as far southward as the 

 75° in long. 40° E., and the sky denoting the continuation of the 

 ice still farther to the southward, it was not thought expedient 

 to proceed farther, and the ship's head was accordingly turned 

 westward, once more towards the Greenland ice. As to the 

 hoi3e of the Barentz Sea ever becoming a whaling-ground, 

 Capt. Gray, in his log, says : — " I am now fully convinced, from 

 the quantity of ice lying east of Spitzbergen this year, that no 

 open passage up or near to Franz Joseph Land is practicable. 

 I am also convinced that Franz Joseph Land can only be 

 reached in very exceptional seasons, and also that it can never 

 be of any value as a resort of whalers, the passage to and 

 from Franz Joseph Land being far too uncertain to allow 

 whaling vessels to reach their cruising ground off the S.W. and 

 N.W. coasts ; for, unless our ships can reach their cruising 

 ground at least in nine seasons out of ten it would be impracticable 

 — in short, incompatible with successful commercial enter- 

 prise." That the Barentz Sea is not the resort of B. mysticetus 

 is almost certain, the shallow water being perfectly imprac- 

 ticable with its habits ; nevertheless, far removed from the open 

 ocean as the shores of Franz Joseph Land are, the bays of 

 its western coast may be annually visited by migrants from the 

 Greenland Sea. 



On the 22nd Saddle Seals were very numerous ; a good many 

 Looms and one flock of Brent Geese were also seen. At noon 

 Hope Island bore N.W., distant about thirty miles ; a few 

 " bergs " were passed in the evening. As on our passage 

 eastward, so on our return journey across the Spitzbergen 

 water, B. sibbaldii was seen daily, sometimes very numerous ; 

 twenty or even more might have been counted blowing at one 

 time on several occasions. But the observation I have here to 

 make is that during the day few or none were to be seen, and 

 that every night they were more or less numerous, always 

 appearing to be in greatest numbers about 4 a.m. If, then, 

 these cetaceans are nocturnal in their habits, where do they 

 obtain rest during the day ? It may be said by some that 

 B. mysticetus would be able to find a snug corner amongst the 

 ice, where it would escape observation. Without admitting this, 



