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PUBLIC RECORD OFFICE

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mimimmimC.O. 885

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182

APPENDICES.

This movement lasts from the latter half of January to the end of March, and the end of this westward run coincides with the first arrival of capelan at Fin- mark, in consequence of which the humpback might occasionally be found to use this favourable opportunity to provision a little.

As stated already the humpback is at this time seeking warmer seas for breed- ing purposes. Its run thither has not been observed from any of the other northern whaling grounds, since, in the case of those grounds, it happens before the opera- tions of the whalers commence.

In the warmer seas where parturition and pairing take place it has, on the contrary, been observed at various places. Thus one finds it in April and May along the coast of north-west Africa. The females are followed then by small calves. The same is also the case both around the Atlantic Islands and on the south-east coast of the United States.

During this time the humpback occurs merely as a pure exception on the northern whaling grounds.

Here in the warmer seas the whale does not find much food, and it therefore does not make any long stay, but runs quickly back northwards to regions richer in foodstuffs. The females are followed now by the new-born young, and on this their northward run pass our whaling grounds at the Hebrides and Faroes, and in the summer months, June, July, and August, this other migration occurs along the Finmark coast.

During the time when the whaling at the Faroes was still considerable several humpbacks were caught upon this migration. According to the journal of the steam-whaler Norddebles's" catches in 1901 and 1903-published in its entirety by the present author in "Norsk Fiskeritidende," 1904, pp. 99 et seq.-six hump- backs were shot in 1901 and sixteen in 1903 by this vessel. In 1901 the hunting lasted from 18th July to 30th August, and in 1903 from 15th June to 9th September. While whaling flourished on the Finmark coast fewer humpbacks were caught on this summer migration than during the spring migration. Moreover, at each of our northern stations individual humpbacks are caught during the summer. occurs as a rule, but rarely everywhere, perhaps in fewest numbers at Shetland and the Faroes. Still, individuals are caught each year at those places. It is at this time of the year principally busied with the search for food-partly in the plankton- bearing currents, and partly in the herring shoals.

It

On the American side of the Atlantic there occurs also a corresponding migra- tion, since the humpback is abundant in the Greenland Sea during summer and early autumn.

Although the humpback thus, as a rule, spends the summer in relatively high latitudes, individuals or small schools may yet be met with in the neighbourhood of the southern "breeding" places.

In the course of whaling at Finmark it was observed that the humpback towards autumn moved northwards to the seas around Bear Island and below Spitz- bergen. Moreover, it was here engaged in seeking food-kril and capelan.

When such layers of water become colder in the autumn, and the capelan go deeper, the humpback moves into the more eastern parts of the northern sea, where it usually passes the winter, apparently, at all events, partially nourished by herrings.

Similar migrations are made by the humpback south of the Equator. All the there occurring forms of humpback are very nearly allied to, if not identical with, our northern form.

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With the approach of the Antarctic spring great quantities of whalefood 'sprout" up along the south polar ice-edge, and this food is carried by the currents towards the coasts of the great south polar island groups. From November and onwards nature has consequently spread a rich table to which the plankton-eating whales can proceed and find food in all luxuriance. In greatest numbers the hump- back puts in an appearance. It is at this season lean, but later, as the southern summer advances, and it can feed without stint on its natural food-kril—it becomes rapidly fatter and fatter, and from February to April it acquires a layer of blubber so thick that one can very seldom find the like on the northern whaling grounds.

When the autumn arrives in this southern region, and the animal life of the upper strata of water gradually decreases, the humpback proceeds northwards in order to seek warmer water, where the young can be born and where the pairing can happen.

APPENDICES.

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The female humpbacks which are caught in the summer on the hunting grounds at South Georgia and South Shetland are nearly all pregnant, although the size of the fœtuses varies with the individual.

When the humpback now wanders northwards it proceeds towards the great, continents, and it is found already from the middle of May--indeed, occasionally still earlier-moving northwards along the coasts of South America and Africa. The progress is definitely a northward one, and the whale is now extremely fat.

The migration does not commence at exactly the same time in each year, but the difference is not very great. In 1911, for example, at Consul Johann Bryde's station at South Africa, the first humpback was obtained on 15th May, while in 1912 by the 12th May one hundred whales had already been caught. A large number of these, however, were seihval.

This migration from the south lasts till the end of July, and the whale goes apparently quite northwards of the equatorial region. The Dominion Whaling Company, of Sandefjörd, which has its station on the coast of West Africa just south of the Equator, has thus found there a very good stock of fat migrating whales.

Towards the end of August the southward migration along the same coasts begins. The whale is now noticeably leaner. The pregnant females have cast

young and the animals have paired.

their

The

Whaling Director M. Ingebrigtsen, who, during last year has had especially good opportunity to study this whale migration from his station at Port Alexandra, West Africa, thinks that the humpback only has young in alternate years. young grow in the meantime very rapidly, and he assumes them to be able to repro- duce after about one year. Taken on the whole the humpback is more ready to pair With than are other whales, and the paired humpbacks appear to be good spouses. regard to their reciprocal behaviour there is, however, a conspicuous difference, which the whalers have long observed, and according to which they have therefore directed themselves, namely, when they hunt a pair of humpbacks they seek always to shoot the female first, well knowing that then the male becomes their certain prey also. This is because the male does not forsake the dead female, but searches directly here and there, and displays the most touching affection. Quite otherwise if they shoot the male first. The female will then also immediately search hither and thither, but only for a moment. She quickly perceives that there is something unusual on foot, and flees with great speed far from the dangerous spot.

If a male is proceeding alone it is very difficult to approach within gunshot. Is he in the meantime so unlucky as to come into the neighbourhood of one or more young females, it is as a rule all over with him. He now loses at once all wary circumspection and begins an energetic courtship, which as a rule costs him his life. The humpback gives, on the whole, in various ways, the impression of a higher intelligence than do the other large Cetacea. It hears well and realizes quickly that it is being hunted. The sound of the whaling-boat appears to disquiet it more than the sight of it. It appears, in other words, to trust more on its sense of hear- ing than on its sight.

It often gives the impression of being very shy and cautious, but nevertheless it appears as a rule to be easy to catch. There are, namely, two things which make it almost senseless; these are courting and the presence of food. A humpback in the midst of kril appears to have no thought for anything but provisions, and an enamoured humpback forgets all regard to caution.

Because of its stout build its movements are also somewhat slow and heavy; This inquisitive- similarly it appears to take interest in studying strange objects. ness not seldom costs it its life.

The southward migration along the coasts of Africa and South America lasts until far into November. The whale is at last relatively lean and steers now rapidly southwards, because down there in the setting currents round the Antarctic island groups and along the edge of the southern ice the commencing summer has again called forth a swarming life in the surface water, and the rich table of Nature is again spread for the whale "schools."

Similar migrations of the humpback take place also on both sides of the Equator in the Pacific. From the feeding places towards the south on the Austra- lian side the migrations proceed northwards along the Australian mainland and the various island groups of this part of the world, and north of the Equator one has similarly a corresponding migration. This migration has not yet, however, been so closely examined and defined.