THE FINWHALE FISHERY OF 1886. 217 



Capt. Horn obtained : (measured in English feet) Males, April 

 (4), Fin, 64, 65, 66, 68 ; Bastard, 67 ; May, Fin, 63 ; Bastard, 73; 

 Fin, 65; June, Bastard, 71 ; July, Fin, 65; Aug., Fin, 63, 64,49, 

 63 (this last was the Herring Whale before mentioned). Females, 

 April (6), Fin,j71 ; Bastard, 80|- (very fat), 64 ; May, Fin, 64 (con- 

 taining foetus about ISg- in. long, gape of mouth 3 in., length of 

 flipper If in., across flukes 2^ in.) ; June, Fin, 64 (foetus 3 ft. 8 in.) ; 

 July, Fin, 68^, 69 ; Bastard, 70 (foetus 23| in. long, gape of mouth 

 4 in., length of flipper 2| in., base of dorsal fin Its in., across 

 flukes 4| in., on upper mandible 7 hairs on left side, 8 on right, 

 and 17 on the lower mandible). Average: (14) males, QM; (8) 

 females, 68| Eng. ft. It will be seen from the above figures that 

 of 16 typical Common Eorquals, only 1 reached 70 ft.; while out 

 of 6 of the "Bastard" variety, 4 were 70 ft. and upwards, 

 1 reaching the remarkable length of 80^ Eng. ft. This Whale 

 was shot by the 'Murmanetz' on April 9th, the hai-poon going 

 well in just behind a flipper, that is, somewhere very close to the 

 heart, and the shell exploded. The wound, instead of proving 

 almost immediately fatal, seemed to madden the victim, and it 

 rushed away at great speed and towed the steamer, with the pro- 

 peller working full speed astern, for four hours; when the ' Welda' 

 being sighted, she was signalled to assist, and this vessel, steaming 

 up at an angle, succeeded in lodging a harpoon just behind the 

 flipper on the opposite side to the first ; this shell also exploded 

 properly. The Whale in this mortally wounded condition actually 

 towed the two steamers steaming full speed astern, with a boat 

 from each constantly lancing it, for two hours before it succumbed. 



Capt. Andreeff obtained : (measured in English feet) Males 

 (June), 49, 63, 61; females, (April 13) 65, 63, 71, 70, 63, 60, 60, 

 68, 69, 64, 63, 54, 61 (Sept. 8). Average : (3) males, 57^ ft. ; (13) 

 females, 63t3 ft. 



In 1885 Capt. Horn obtained : (March 20) Fin, 64, 65, 60, 58; 

 Bastard, 71 ; Fin, 59, 63 (female with foetus 4 ft. long), 58, 64, 59, 

 63, 56, 63, 58, 58, 61, 55, 57, 61, 58, 59; Bastard, 70; Fin, 63, 

 58, 54, 57, 57, 64. Average : (28) 60JJ Norw. ft. 



Herr Wiborg obtained between April and Aug. 2 : Males 

 (including a Bastard about 70 Norw. ft., killed June 3), 13; 

 females, 10. On May 30th a female contained a foetus 4 Norw. ft. ; 

 on the 38tli he found one of 3 ft. ; on June 9th, one of 5 ft. ; and on 

 July 26th, one of 7 ft. 



ZOOLOGIST. JUNE, 1887. S 



