IO 
CETACEANS. 
Habits. 
degree of uncertainty. Captain Feilden is, however, of opinion that no whale 
could inhabit the frozen sea lying to the north of Robeson Channel, above Baffin 
Bay, in latitude 82° N., and that none would be found in the neighbourhood of the 
pole. This species undertakes annual migrations of considerable extent, always 
travelling northwards in summer as the ice breaks up. Captain Scammon states 
that “ everything tends to prove that Balcena mysticetus is truly an ‘ ice-whale,’ for 
among the scattered floes, or about the borders of the ice-fields or barriers is its 
home and feeding-ground. It is true that these animals are pursued in the open 
water during the summer months, but in no instance have we learned of their 
being captured south of where winter ice-fields are occasionally met with.” 
The huge size of the mouth and the enormous development of 
the baleen in this species is in correlation with the nature of the 
food, which is composed mainly of small shrimp-like crustaceans and swimming 
molluscs belonging to the group known as pteropods; a vast number of such 
minute creatures being necessary to afford sustenance to an animal of the dimensions 
of the Greenland whale. When feeding, these whales swim near the surface of the 
water, with the nostrils and a portion of the middle of the back showing above. 
Captain Scammon, writing about twenty years ago, says “ they are often met with 
singly in their wanderings; at other times in pairs or triplets, and scattered over 
the surface of the water as far as the eye can discern from the masthead. Toward 
the end of the season they are seen in large numbers, crowded together. These 
herds are called ‘gams,’ and they are regarded by experienced whalemen as an 
indication that the whales will soon leave the ground. Their manner of respira¬ 
tion is to blow seven to nine times at a ‘ rising,’ then ‘ turning flukes ’ (elevating 
them six to eight feet out of the water), they go down and remain twelve or 
fifteen minutes.” Captain Gray states, however, that he has known a whale when 
harpooned stay under water for fifty minutes. 
There is still some degree of uncertainty as to the breeding-habits of the 
Greenland whale. Dr. R. Brown states that the pairing-season is from June to 
August, and that the young are born in the following March, April, and May. 
Some other writers have, however, considered that the period of gestation is 
thirteen or fourteen months. The single offspring is believed to be suckled for 
about a year, during which time the baleen is gradually developed. The affection 
of the female parent for her young is most intense, and if she be captured there is 
little difficulty in securing her offspring. 
The Greenland whale is a peaceful and timid animal, and appears never to 
attack the boats of its pursuers. The accidents which occur in hunting this species 
are mainly due either to its descending suddenly to great depths when first 
wounded, whereby the boat may be swamped or dragged under water, or by a too 
close approach to the animal when in its last terrible death-struggle, or “ flurry,” as 
it is called by the whalers. The ordinary speed of a Greenland whale, whether 
swimming at or below the surface, is estimated by Captain Gray at about four 
miles an hour, while when the animal is frightened or wounded its rate of progress 
will be accelerated to about eight miles. 
The Greenland whale has for more than a century been systematic¬ 
ally hunted by British whalers, whose headquarters are the ports of 
Whaling. 
