THE WHALEBONE WHALES. 667 



the blackish, the grey, and the yellowish. The blackish forms 

 follow the schools of caplin and herrings. The time of ap- 

 pearance of the two other varieties seems to indicate that they 

 feed chiefly on plankton. Further information upon the 

 migratory route of these varieties would be interesting, and 

 observations on the subject might be made during the progress 

 of the herring fisheries. I may add that at South Shetland, in 

 February and March, 1910, I observed several Finback and Blue 

 Whales which were covered by a muddy, yellowish deposit 

 which could easily be scraped off. As I had not a microscope 

 with me, no infoi'mation upon the nature of this substance 

 covild be obtained. Pennella is, so far as I know, the only 

 parasite that has been found, and this only occasionally. 



Text-fii;. 163. 



Epizoic Crustacea {Cnromila diadema and Conchoderma avritinn) 

 from Humpback Whale. 



Htmijihack Wholes. — During the early months of the year in- 

 dividuals of this species are met with on the Finmark coast going 

 west. They are at that time followed by large calves, are restless, 

 and appi'oach the shores. About April the cows are supposed to 

 give birth to their young in subtropical waters. Impregnation 

 is supposed to take place shortly afterwards. The Humpbacks 

 arrive again in the waters north of Finmark in summer; 

 and around Bear Island they are found in July feeding on 

 plankton {Boreophait^sia inermis, &c.) and caplin, and are then 

 seen with calves about 20 feet long. The foetuses found at 

 this time of the year are about 20 inches long. In September 

 they go east into the Barents Sea, but observations upon their 

 life during the last months of the year are wanting. They are 



