40 E. LÖNNBERG, CONTRIBUTIONS TO THE FAUNA OF SOUTH GEORGIA. 



that the young Humpbacks are not born in the waters of South Georgia but some- 

 where else. It is said that Humpbacks come to Cape of Good Hope to bear their 

 youngs there. Are these the same specimens which feed on the »bank» off South 

 Georgia during the antarctic snmmer? This seems at least not impossible with re- 

 gard to the time of the year, as I find, for instance, stated in W. L. Sclateb,'.s book 

 on »The Mammals of South Africa»| (Vol. II pag. 183) the following passage: »Like 

 the right whale the humpback seems to frequent the shallow waters of bays and 

 inlets for breeding purposes, arriving in Table and False Bays in the micldle of the 

 irinter.» 1 The Humpbacks appear thus at Cape at such a time of the year when 

 there are none to be seen öff South Georgia, and it is therefore possible that the 

 migration takes place between these two areas. 



There is another observation which is of some importance and throws some 

 light on the propagation of this whale. The semiadult individnal measuring 8,1 5 m. 

 in length and shot the 20 of Febr. 1905 was still in company with its mother which 

 was not pregnant. This appears to indicate that these whales do not have youngs 

 every year. 



All specimens of southern Humpbacks are beset with barnacles. The greatest 

 numbers are found on the throat, and around the anus. Otherwise they are found 

 almost every where, even on pectoral, dorsal and caudal fins. On the Coronulce often 

 Conchoderms are found, but not always. 



All the Humpbacks had also Cyami, except the young specimen of 8,1 5 m. 

 length. The »lice» sit mostly in the furrows, at the chin and on top of the head, 

 but otherwise scattered everywhere. 



The Humpbacks are rather easy to kill. They are not shy so that they allow 

 the whaling steamer to approach within suitable distance, or even swim up to it 

 themselves. This allows the gunner to choose his chance for a good and deadly shot. 

 The curiosity of the animals is also used by the whalers in such a way that when 

 they have shot a Humpback and it is about half dead they do not haul it in to 

 the vessel but leave it at the end of .the line to dodge up and down. The move- 

 ments of the poor dying creature attracts its fellows which swim up to see what it 

 is and then fall easy victims to the harpoon-gun. Thus it happened once that Cap- 

 tain Larsen could shoot and kill in one day not less than six Humpbacks which 

 were tugged ashore at one time. The Humpbacks are very fat so that they float 

 when dead. They have often a blubber coat measuring 10 — 12 inches in thickness, 

 and a single Humpback yields about 25 to 30 barrels of oil. In addition to the 

 subcutaneous blubber, which is thickest on the sides of the animal, the fat around 

 the viscera is taken care of, and the tongue. This latter is, as also in the Finback 

 and the Blue whale, very soft and loose almost gelatinous to its consistence. 



1 [talicised by t lie present writer. 



