26 



THE ZOOLOGIST. 



ARCTIC WHALE FISHERY IN 1908. 

 By Thomas Southwell, F.Z.S. 



According to Mr. Mitchell's Circular, six vessels took part in 

 the Whale fishery in the season of 1908, two of which went to 

 the Greenland Seas, one to Hudson Bay, and three to Davis 

 Straits; the ketch 'St. Hilda' (79 tons) went to the Straits, 

 where she obtained 235 Walruses, and the 1 Queen Bess ' (72 

 tons) brought home the produce of 7 White Whales, 82 Walruses, 

 1938 Seals, and 8 Bears, also obtained in Davis Straits. ' The 

 Snowdrop ' (64 tons) was sent out to Frobisher's Strait to land 

 stores and fetch back produce from the station there ; she has 

 not been heard of since July last, and the fear is that she is lost. 



Once again the Greenland fishery has been the more pro- 

 ductive, ten of the fifteen Whales killed having been there 

 obtained, one in Hudson Bay, and four in Davis Strait and 

 Pond's Bay. The total produce consisted of 15 Right Whales, 

 540 White Whales, 899 Walruses, 3084 Seals, and 241 Bears, 

 yielding 307| tuns of oil and 153J cwt. of bone. The 'Eclipse ' 

 also brought home from the Pond's Bay station the produce of 

 one Whale, 671 Walruses, and 26 Bears ; 165 Fox pelts were 

 also received. With bone at about .=£2000 per ton, the total 

 value of the produce may be estimated at between £29,000 and 

 £30,000. 



For the following events of the season I am indebted to my 

 friend Mr. Robert Kinnes, of Dundee : — 



The ' Balsena ' and the ' Scotia ' were the two vessels which 

 went to Greenland ; each vessel got a Whale of about 10 ft. 6 in. 

 bone in the middle of May at the northern ground. The ice then 

 broke up, and the ' Scotia ' went to the southern ground ; during 

 her absence the ' Balaena ' succeeded in getting three other 

 Whales, one of 9 ft. bone and two others of 6 ft. or 7 ft., all in 

 two days, about the middle of June. On the return north of 

 the ' Scotia,' Capt. Robertson captured three Whales, all about 



