ON BELMULLET WHALING STATION. 147 
point of view, if from no other. The carease represents rather more 
than one-third of the total value of an ordinary whale. 
Most of the whaling has been carried on to within a few years only 
in the Northern Hemisphere. Recently, however, many stations have 
been opened in the South—e.g., off South Africa—and large catches 
have been taken. I was told of a station which, in the 1911 season, 
was taking twenty whales per day. Most of the whales brought in at 
the Belmullet Station appear to be caught on or about a bank situated 
in a north-westerly direction. There is no doubt that the movements 
of whales, especially of the Mystacocetes, are largely due to the pre- 
sence or absence of suitable food, and the bank mentioned above 
appears to be a regular feeding-ground for Balenopteride. A greater 
knowledge of planktonic movements would no doubt go far to explain 
the presence or absence of the ‘ Finners’ at given places at certain 
times. The state of the weather appears to be an important factor. 
A long spell of fine, calm weather appears to send the whales further 
out, whereas dull, cloudy, and rainy weather brings them in. This is 
especially the case with the Mystacocetes, and is probably almost 
entirely due to the movements of the plankton on which these animals 
chiefly subsist. The sperm whales (Physeter macrocephalus, I.) are 
generally caught further off the land in deeper water, due no doubt to 
the food consisting almost entirely of deep-sea cephalopods. 
Before passing on to consider the observations and results of my 
stay at Belmullet, I must express my thanks to Professor J. S. 
Gardiner, F.R.S., who, as Secretary of the Committee, gave me the 
opportunity of undertaking the investigation, and who has since given 
me much valuable help and advice at Cambridge, where the detailed 
work has been done. 
During my stay in Ireland Mr. R. M. Barrington, F.L.S., showed 
me great kindness, and helped me greatly by his local knowledge, and 
to him I express my hearty thanks. I cannot express my obligations 
too highly to Mr. D. Bingham, of Bingham Castle, with whom I had 
the good fortune to stay during my visit, and whose help and advice 
on all occasions were freely given, and were invaluable. I have also 
to thank Dr. R. F. Scharff, of the Dublin Museum, for his kind offer 
of help. 
In my actual work at the station T can only say that it was the 
advice, information, and cordial help given by Captain Bruun, the 
manager of the Whaling Company, which made the work possible, and 
for these I thank him most sincerely, and IT must extend my thanks 
to many friends at the whaling station. In the more detailed work 
at: Cambridge I have to express my indebtedness to Dr. A. BE. Shipley, 
F.R.S., Dr. H. Gadow, F.R.S., Dr. H. K. Anderson, F.R.S., and 
Mr. I. A. Borradaile, M.A., for much help and advice on special 
points. 
II. Genrrat Factory Procrepure. 
Although whales were first hunted for their oi] alone, even before 
the use of whalebone was known, there are now at least half.a dozen 
L 2 
