88 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



to Newfoundland, where they captured 139,985 more Seals, 

 making a total of 163,969 in all, before they turned^their atten- 

 tion to the Whales. This branch of the fishery was pursued by 

 twelve of the Dundee vessels in Davis Strait, with a result of 

 48 Right Whales ; two others fished for Bottlenose Whales in 

 the Greenland Seas, capturing 22. Four of thje Peterhead 

 whalers which gave their chief attention to the Greenland 

 Bottlenose Whales killed 94 of these and 23 Jlight Whales, 

 making a total return of 163,969 Seals, 71 Bight Whales, 116 

 Bottlenoses, and 33 tons 6 cwt. of bone. Compare this with the 

 past season's catch, as stated farther on, and with the fact that in 

 1897 one Whale was captured, and one other seen ; in 1898 not 

 a single Whale was seen ; in 1899 one Whale was seen and cap- 

 tured ; but in the past season of 1900 a diligent search in the 

 Greenland fishing-grounds, extending over six weeks, did not 

 reveal the presence of a single Whale. In those days we hear 

 nothing of such small deer as Bears and Walruses, which were 

 treated as by-products. 



But it is time to speak of the voyage of the past season. The 

 * Balaena,' the only vessel which went to Greenland, after her 

 unsuccessful search in that locality, departed on June 10th for 

 Davis Strait ; but it was not till Sept. 20th that she killed her 

 first and only Whale, having the misfortune to lose a second to 

 which she fastened. Capt. Roberts reports that in the fall a 

 large number of Whales were sighted, but that, owing to almost 

 incessant gales of wind, it was impossible to send out the boats ; 

 and this seems to have been the experience of all the vessels so 

 far as weather was concerned. The * Balsena ' brought home 

 21 tuns of oil and 14 cwt. of bone, the produce of the one Whale, 

 and 91 Walruses, also 18 Bears. 



The ' Eclipse ' had a very arduous time, and it was not till 

 Sept. 19th that she killed her first Whale, although plenty were 

 seen ; on the 23rd she captured another, and a third on Oct. 

 10th. This last proved a fighter from the first, and, after 

 smashing one of the boats — fortunately no lives were lost — 

 required two explosive rockets before it succumbed. The voyage 

 home was no exception as to weather, and the ' Eclipse ' arrived 

 in a very battered condition, but with three very fine Whales of 

 10 ft. 5 in., 11 ft. 6 in., and 12 ft. 3 in. bone respectively, which 



