Page:The Zoologist, 4th series, vol 3 (1899).djvu/131

Rh land shore and the open Atlantic to the southward of that. They are supposed to whelp fifty miles or so to the westward of the Magdalene Islands on immense sheets, or possibly, even probably, on ice frozen to and extending out a long distance from the Canadian shore. Unless there is a prevalence of strong westerly winds, or an unusually mild spring, these Harps are seldom got in any quantities. Capt. Joy says that the eastern Harps whelp on the ice in the neighbourhood of Cape Whittle, and are driven by the winds up or down the Gulf, or from shore to shore; he also told me that the people on the Magdalene Islands told him that a good many small black [dark coloured?] Seals whelp near there, and that their young take to the water as soon as born. From what he heard, he believes that about 13,000 western Harps were taken by the people on the Magdalene and Byron Islands, and that many Seals were crushed by the ice rafting on these islands."

The total number of Seals taken by the fleet of eighteen steamers, of the aggregate capacity of 5595 tons, and manned by 3802 seamen, was 241,708, of a net value of about £80,000, as compared with 126,628, valued at £32,564, in the previous season; to these must be added some 30,000 taken by the sailing vessels and by the shore fishermen—a very considerable improvement on the last two years.

The 'Aurora' again headed the list with 25,633, closely followed by the 'Neptune' with 25,503. There were five others which secured more than 15,000 each, and another five had more than 10,000 each; the remaining six averaged 5088 each. The most unfortunate were the 'Kite' and the 'Harlaw' (1235 and 778 respectively) which went in search of the western Harps in the Gulf of St. Lawrence. No Dundee vessels were present at the Newfoundland sealing.

In my last year's notes (p. 77), I mentioned that a company called the "Cabot Whale Fishery Company" had been formed at St. John's to prosecute the Fin-Whale fishery off the coast of Newfoundland after the Norwegian fashion. This fishery has been carried on from Snook's Arm (near Cape John in Notre Dame Bay). The season closed early in November, and ninety-two Whales were captured by the 'Cabot,' the only vessel at present employed. Only the blubber and baleen are at present