"Something lying yonder in the sea, my son, the like of which you have never seen before," replied the Captain, pointing to a large object in the water at some little distance.
"Ah, a whale!" exclaimed Dr. Travilla, who had come up on Ned's other side. "To what genus does he belong, Captain?"
"He is a bottlenose; a migratory species, confined to the North Atlantic. It ranges far northward in the summer, southward in the winter. In the early spring they may be found around Iceland and Greenland, Western Spitzbergen, in Davis Strait and probably about Novaia Zemlia."
"Oh, do they like to live right in among the icebergs, papa?" asked Elsie.
"No, they do not venture in among the ice itself, but frequent open bays along its margin, as in that way they are sheltered from the open sea."
"The group gathered about the Captain on the deck now comprised all his cabin passengers, not one of whom failed to be interested in the whale, or to have some remark to make or question to ask.
"This one seems to be alone," remarked Lucilla. "Do they usually go alone, papa?"
"No; they are generally found in herds of from four to ten; and many different herds may be found in sight at the same time. The old males, however, are frequently solitary; though sometimes one of them may be seen leading a herd. These whales don't seem to be afraid of ships, swimming around them and underneath the boats till their curiosity is satisfied."
"I suppose they take them—the ships—for a kind of big fish," laughed Ned.
"Why is this kind of whale called bottlenosed, papa?" asked Elsie.