oj the Fishery Board for Scotland. 



Iv 



U will be seen from the above table that there was a decrease in 

 the catch of every species except the humpback. Of the Northcaper, 

 or xitlantic right whale, which is the only species whose whalebone 

 approaches in value that of the Greenland whale, only 9 were taken, 

 as against 21 last year, but it is interesting to note that of this number 

 four were taken in Shetland waters, where they have never before been 

 observed. The Shetland catch was much more varied than usual, and 

 included 10 humpbacks, 4 Northcapers, 2 blue whales, and 1 bottle- 

 nose. The most noticeable feature brought out by an examination of 

 the returns furnished to the Board is the great diminution of the catch 

 of sei whales in Hebridean waters, where only 19 of that species were 

 captured, as against 55 in the preceding year. This was due to the 

 somewhat remarkable circumstance that the sei whale completely 

 disappeared from those waters after the middle of June, whereas last 

 year they were present throughout the entire season. The returns 

 again show that the Northcaper is only present for a short time early 

 in the season, and that blue whales do not arrive until comparatively 

 late in the season. Only one of the valuable sperm whales was 

 secured, it will be observed, as against 7 in 1909. 



Of whales measuring 70 feet and upwards in length, only 62 were 

 taken in 1910, as against 73 in the preceding year. Of those taken 

 in 1910, however, three exceeded 80 feet in length. All were blue 

 whales, and the largest measured 85 feet in length by 45 feet in 

 girth. 



The quantity and value of the various products derived from these 

 cetaceans in 1910, together with the corresponding figures for 1909, 

 are shown in the following table : — 



1910. 



1909. 









Avei 



age 







Average 



Products. 



Weight. 



Value. 



Price 



Weight. 



Value. 



Price 







per Ton. 





per Ton. 





Tons. 



£ 



£ 



s. 



Tons. 



£ 



£ s. 



Oil, 



3,007 



50,796 



16 



18 



3,170 



48,037^ 



15 3 



Cattle Food, ... 



629 



4,643 



7 



8 



1,0704 



7,383| 



6 18 



Bonemeal, 



311i 



1,154 



3 



14 



416| 



1,592" 



3 16 



Manure, 



1,234 



6,164 



5 



0 



9081 



4,463 



4 18 



Whalebone, . . . 



591 



4,577 



77 



6 



7ii 



7,260 



101 19 



Salted Meat, . . . 



9i 



105 



11 



1 



9j 



87* 



8 19 



Spermaceti, 



36" 



1,020 



28 



7 



100 



2,400** 



24 0 







£68,459 









£71,223| 





From the above table it will be seen that there was an advance 

 in the market price of every commodity except bonemeal, in which a 

 slight decline occurred, and whalebone, which, owing to the diminished 

 catch of Northcapers, shows a marked decrease in value. Oil is by 

 far the most important product, and it is noteworthy that, notwith- 

 standing the large diminution in the catch, the total yield of oil 

 should so nearly have approached that of the preceding year. 

 Although, too, only one sperm whale was taken, it yielded 36 tons of 



