60 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



residence, the Links, Peterhead, on May 16th, 1896, at the age of 

 sixty-seven years. Another well-known whaler, Capt. Alexander 

 Fairweather, also died of brain fever, on May 81st last, off Spitz - 

 bergen, on board the 'Balsena,' which he commanded. He was one 

 of the most successful of the Dundee whaling captains, and was 

 chosen by Mr. Leigh Smith, in 1873, to take charge of the 'Diana,' 

 which relieved the Nordenskjold Expedition in Spitzbergen ; 

 afterwards he returned to the Whale fishery, and in 1892-3 took 

 the 'Baleena* to the Antarctic Seas. 



It is probable that the 'Balsena' and the 'Diana' will be 

 withdrawn from the Whale fishery in the coming season ; indeed 

 I am informed that the difficulty of finding capable men to com- 

 mand these costly expeditions is very great, and that there are no 

 young men coming forward. This, in addition to the precarious 

 nature of the enterprise and the seeming exhaustion of the old 

 haunts of the Whales, will probably bring about the extinction of 

 this ancient industry, unless some new resorts of the Whales 

 should be discovered, which seems very unlikely to happen. 



As on previous occasions, I have to acknowledge my in- 

 debtedness to Mr. David Bruce and Mr. R. Kinnes, of Dundee, 

 and to Mr. Michael Thorburn, of St. John's, Newfoundland, 

 for their kindness in supplying me with information. 



