Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 2 (1898).djvu/69

Rh where a Whale, attracted by the sight of a ship, had proceeded to examine her, misjudged his distance, and came into collision with disastrous effect to both. But there are many instances where the Whale has deliberately charged a ship, either out of pure 'devilment,' or when maddened with the agony of a wound inflicted by a harpoon. Some years ago a small school or 'pod' of Sperm Whales was sighted off Strong's Island, in the Caroline Archipelago, by a New Bedford barque and a Hawaiian brig. Both ships lowered their boats at once, and in a very short time Captain Wicks, of the Hawaiian brig, got fast to a large bull who was cruising by himself about half a mile away from the rest of the 'pod.' As is not uncommon among Sperm and Hump-backed Whales, the rest of the school, almost the instant their companion was struck, showed their consciousness of what had occurred, and at once crowded closely together in the greatest alarm, 'lying motionless on the surface of the water as if listening, and sweeping their huge flukes slowly to and fro as a cat sweeps its tail when watching an expected spring from one of its own kind. So terrified were they with the knowledge that some unknown and invisible danger beset them, that they permitted the loose boats—five in number—to pull right on top of them.' Four of the boats at once got fast without difficulty, leaving three or four of the Whales huddled together in the greatest fear and agitation."

One of the largest bull Whales which had been wounded, after destroying one of the boats, suddenly appeared twenty minutes later close to the Hawaiian brig. He was holding his head high up out of the water, and swimming at a furious speed straight towards the ship, which he struck a "slanting blow just for'ard of the forechains." Everyone on board was thrown down by the force of the concussion, and the ship began to make water fast. Scarcely had the crew manned the pumps when a cry was raised, "He's coming back." Looking over the side, the Whale was seen some thirty feet below the surface, swimming round and round the ship with incredible speed, and evidently not injured by his impact. In a few moments he rose to the surface about a cable length away, and then, for the second time, came at the ship, swimming well up out of the water, and apparently meaning to strike her fairly amidships. This time, however, he failed, for a bomb was fired into him from another boat which occasioned almost immediate death.

last year's 'Zoologist' (p. 287) we drew attention to the projected expedition of Lieut.-Col. H.W. Fielden and Mr. H.J. Pearson to the Petchora River and the coasts of Siberia. The expedition has been successfully accomplished, and the naturalists have returned. The zoological results have been communicated in abstract to a meeting of the Royal Geographical Society. Col. Fielden and Mr. Pearson started in the 'Laura' from Skaars