75 
blowing and low grunting of the animals could be heard at a distance of 
several hundred yards. The adults were pure yellowish white and the 
young, brown. They were extremely sensitive. A single shot fired into 
this school caused the whole company, with one accord, to disappear, 
nothing more being seen of them until they had travelled several hundred 
yards away. The gambolling and blowing were then resumed with 
customary vigour. 
The Hudson’s Bay Company at Pangnirtung fiord devote special 
attention to this species in early July, when it enters the fiords of upper 
Cumberland sound. In 1923 about six hundred animals were killed. In 
early July, 1924, about eight hundred were secured in Midlualik bay, 
Issortukdjuak fiord, by the following described method. Large numbers 
of white whales having been observed swimming up the bay, they were 
held in the bay by racing motor-boats across the narrow entrance and by 
firing rifles and beating pans. When the tide dropped, the whales were 
left stranded, were then shot and skinned, and the carcasses permitted to 
drift out to sea on succeeding tides. 
On July 29, 1924, large numbers of white whale were observed at high 
and low tide in Midlualik and Sirmilling bays, Issortukdjuak fiord. They 
are distinctly inclined to frequent the mouths of rivers discharging into 
bays and fiords. 
A number of white whales were seen in Pangnirtung fiord on August 
12, 1924, and on September 24 they were reported to be abundant in 
Nettilling fiord. They are said to frequent the upper waters of Cumberland 
sound throughout the year, providing that during the winter open leads 
exist. 
In the summer of 1925, large numbers of white whales were taken, as 
usual, in Midlualik bay, by the Hudson’s Bay Company. As the year 
previous, numerous white whales were observed during September along 
the upper coasts of Cumberland sound. 
David Wark states that white whales are scarce at Amadjuak bay, 
and are observed only at long intervals. On the cruise among the Fox 
islands in Gordon bay during June, 1926, many were seen frequenting the 
edge of the land-floe. The floe here, in places, was fully 5 miles wide, 
extending out beyond many of the islands of the group. A small whale, 
11 feet long, was shot on June 24. 
Kumlien (1879, pp. 66-67) says that this species becomes very abundant 
in upper Cumberland sound, where they arrive just as soon as the ice 
begins to loosen. In the winter of 1876-77, he says, a couple were belated 
and became confined in the Kingwah tide-rifts, where they were harpooned 
by the Eskimo in January. Low (1906, p, 274) remarks that this species 
is common to all the Arctic coasts and remains throughout the year. 
Hantzsch (1913, p. 160) records seeing a number in open water near Black- 
lead island on April 22, 1910. 
25. Monodon monoceros Linnaeus, narwhal. 
Eskimo: Kilteluaksuak; also Killnudlil, according to Kumlien. 
On the Canadian Arctic Expedition of 1923 the narwhal was seen 
only at Ponds inlet, where it appears to replace the white whale. Large 
numbers were moving along the coast on August 27, and the following 
day. Many were killed by the Eskimo from boats and kayaks. A con- 
siderable number had been killed previous to August 21. William Duval 
