108 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



utilized, and the carcases are sent adrift; but the Company, Mr. 

 Thorburn informs me, are fitting up premises in Hermitage Bay, 

 where a winter Cod-fishery is carried on, for disposing of the 

 Whales which are still in that neighbourhood, probably for the 

 same reason which proves attractive to the Cod. From the east 

 coast, where the Whales had been very numerous near the shore, 

 they disappeared early in November, but in 1897 they are said to 

 have been more numerous in that locality in November and 

 December than at any other time. Three different kinds of 

 Whale are said to have been killed by the ' Cabot/ but I have 

 not been able to ascertain the species farther than that they are 

 reported as " Finbacks " and " Hump-backed " Whales. 



The Seal fishery in the Greenland Seas, so far as the Dundee 

 vessels is concerned, has practically become a thing of the past, 

 and, such as it is, has almost drifted into the hands of the Nor- 

 wegian vessels. Only the ' Polar Star ' and the ' Balsena ' were 

 present last season ; the former killed fifty Seals, and the latter 

 about 400, but later in the season this number was increased to 

 716. A total of 779 represented all the Seals brought home this 

 season both by the Greenland and Davis Straits vessels. There 

 were twelve Norwegian vessels at the Greenland sealing. I am 

 not aware what the total number of Seals killed by them 

 amounted to, but their success could have been little better than 

 that of the Scotch ships, for I am told the largest catch of the 

 fleet was only 700 Seals. Compare this with a total catch of 

 37,922, and an average of 2917 for thirteen Scotch vessels 

 in 1883. 



The ' Polar Star' and the * Balsena' were the only two Scotch 

 vessels in the Greenland Sea, and during the whole season not 

 a single Right Whale was seen by either of them. From other 

 circumstances, however, their experiences were of considerable 

 interest. Capt. Davidson, of the ' Polar Star,' finding the ice 

 quite unsuitable for whaling, early in June headed for the coast 

 of Greenland in search of Hooded Seals and Walrus ; seventy of 

 the latter, fine old animals, he was successful in securing, but no 

 Seals. " While in lat. 74° N.," says the report of Capt. David- 

 son's voyage, " with fine weather and light ice, he took his vessel 

 close inshore, and without difficulty landed on a spot only one 

 hundred miles to the southward of the farthest point reached by 



