(Fa., Huile do Thou; GER., Tunfischol).—The tunny (Thynnus vulgaris) is second in importance only to the sardine among the fish caught in the Mediterranean. During May and June, endless shoals of these fish migrate from the Mediterranean, through the Straits of Gibraltar, to the Atlantic, returning in July-August. Those caught during the exodus are much fatter and more valuable than those taken on the homeward passage. The coasts frequented by this fish are chiefly within the Mediterranean, extending without interruption along the Spanish and French coasts from the Straits to Nice, reappearing on the Italian coast between Camogli and Spezia, off the W. side of Elba and Sardinia, near Palermo and the Straits of Messina, around Malta and the Karkaneh Islands, and in the Gulf of Tunis. Outside the Mediterranean, the fish visits the European coast, from the Straits westward to Cape St. Vincent, and occurs less abundantly along the French coast from Yen northwards to Belle Isle. The tunny fishery in the Bay of Biscay is most important at Rochelle, Ile de RS, and Sables d'Olonne, commencing iu July, and lasting till mid-September. The Portuguese fishery is confined to the province of Algarve, the tunny not being found farther west than Sagres ; the fish is chiefly taken in the space between the mouth of the Guadiana and Cape Santa Marta from the end of May till the beginning of August, and from the latter point to Albufeira from April till June. The Spanish tunny fishery is concentrated at the mouth of the Guadiana, around Cristina Island, and at Veger, Conil, Chiclana, Rota, Mojarra, and Portil. The catch begins in May, and ends in the last days of August. The Italian tnnny-harvest lasts from April till the end of July, and is distributed chiefly thus :—Gulf of Palermo : S. Flia, Solanto, S. Nicola, Trabia ; Sea of Milazzo : Oliveri, S. Giorgio, Vacoaro Pepe ; W. Coast: Capo Passer° ; Sardinia : Portoscuso, Portopaglia, Isola plans, Calavinagra, Flumentorgiu, Alghero, Trabucato, Asinara ; Elba : Porto ferrajo, Anfola, Marciana ; on the mainland : Birvoaa and Pizzo, Porto S. Stefano, Camogli, and S. Marglierita. It is estimated that in the Gulf of Tunis, some 10,000 tuns are taken yearly.
The fish yields a very large quantity of oil, which is extracted from it by boiling, the operation being performed at the fishing-stations, in the crudest possible manner, and often with sea-water. Generally only the heads, bones, and entrails of the fish are used, in varying stages of decomposi tion, and it is rare that any trouble is taken to prevent the oil being burnt and smoky. Good tunny oil is of a pale amber colour, and has an agreeable flavour; it possesses more body than any other fish oil, hut contains no iodine. By boiling, it assumes a rich broom-yellow hue ; and when left at rest in shallow open vessels, it undergoes a peculiar condensation (doubtless an oxidation), commencing about the end of August or beginning of September, and gradually extending till the 'whole mass becomes solid, and remains so unless heated. It is very commonly adulterated with Bergen and Hamburg inferior cod-oil, with sardine-oil, and with cotton-seed-oil ; the presence of each and all of these is manifested by their remaining liquid while the tunny-oil solidifies. It is highly esteemed for leather-dressing, even in its impure and sophisticated state, and is said to be employed as a lubricator, though that must be regarded with doubt. It is put up in casks, and forms an article of trade in Genoa, Sardinia, Spain, and Tunis. The last-named country produces some 30,000-35,000 kilo. of the oil annually, and the value of its export in 1871 was 1600/. That prepared at Genoa is said to be superior to all others. The industry deserves much greater attention, and is capable of indefinite extension and improvement.
Walrus-oil (Fa., Haile de Morse ; GER., Walrossol.—The walrus or sea-horse (Tricheous Bosmarus [Rosmarus obesus]) is pursued by the Arctic whalers. Some 50,000 are killed every year, but it is reckoned that 3 out of 4 struck are lost through the inefficiency of the projectiles used.
On the coast of Danish Greenland, the walrus is met with between 66° and 68° N. lat., but the number killed yearly does not exceed 200. From 20 to 30 gal. of much-esteemed oil are obtained from each animal.
Whale-oil, Train-oil, and Blubber (FR., Huile de Baleine, de Nordeaper, de Rorqual, de Jubarte; GER., Walfischspeck, Thran).—The competition of mineral oils for illuminating, and animal and vegetable oils for industrial purposes, and the substitution of various articles for the once almost indispensable whalebone, have caused a gradual and general decline in the whale-fishery. The United States now take the lead in it. Their whaling fleet on 1st January, 1880, numbered 178 vessels, with a total burden of 39,433 tons, nearly all hailing from New Bedford. In the Behring's Straits waters, in 1869, 43 American ships secured 38,275 barrels of train-oil ; in 1879, 18 obtained 17,118 barrels. In the Pacific, 40 ships in 1879 got 15,000 barrels. On the Californian coast, are some half-dozen whaling stations, for the capture of " grey-backs " mostly, which are difficult to secure, and not very rich in oil. The best catch is from November to February, when the whales arc going south near the land ; from May to October, they travel northwards farther at sea. In Hudson's Bay, 7 American vessels in 1870-6 procured 3048 barrels of train-oil. The exports of whale-oil (in gal.) from New York iu 1878 were :-348,028 to France, 77,905 to Great Britain, 3050 to S. America, E. and W. Indies, &c., 2228 to Europe, 540 to Scandinavia; total, 431,751. Philadelphia exported 76,636 gal. in 1879. The production of whale-oil in the American fisheries (excluding spermaceti) was 1,091,930 gal. in 1879.
Next to America, ranks Scotland, and afterwards Norway. France and Germany have quite retired from the whale-fishery. The Scotch vessels hail from Peterhead, and Dundee. From the former port, 13 obtained 19 whales, 737i tuns of train-oil, in 1869 ; in 1879, 7 secured 11 whales, 234 tuns of oil. Dundee, in 1869, despatched 11 vessels, which took 9 whales, 576 tuns of oil ; in 1879, 15 captured 55 whales, and had a total of 1746 tuns of oil ; in 1874, the figures were 190 whales, 1994 tuns oil. The fishing takes place partly in the European polar sea, partly in the Cumberland Gulf. The Norwegian whalery is almost confined to the Waranger Fjord, where 130 head, chiefly "donors," were taken ia 1878. The Danish Greenland fishermen secure only 2 or 3 whales annually. The polar whale is found off the coast here and there between 65° and 70° N. lat. A station still exists in Holsteinborg. The chase lasts from December to March. In summer and autumn, they also meet with the humpback whale, in years when there is little or no drift ice. New Zealand had a whale-fleet of 13 vessels in 1877, hailing chiefly from Otago; the value of their take was 41,740/. Tasmania had 12 vessels engaged in 1877, whose catch was valued at 31,605/. The exports of whale-oil from Honolulu in 1878 were 7254 gal. to Germany. The Bay of Panama was very productive in whale-oil during 1878, the number of sperm-whales and hump backs captured considerably exceeding that of previous years. In 1877, the number of barrels (of 30 gal.) of oil obtained was 727; in 1878, it amounted to 2710. The industry is carried on by American vessels from San Francisco and New Bedford, and by Chilian vessels from Valparaiso the latter being owned chiefly by English firms there. From the St. Vincent (W. Indies) whale fishery, the exports were 610 barrels, 18301., in 1876 ; 750 barrels, 2259/., iu 1877 ; 581 barrels 1264/., in 1878 ; 370 barrels, 315/., in 1879. From Barbados, they wore 1108/. in 1877, and 18871 in 1878. The value of Norwegian exports has fallen from 913,200 kroner (of Is. lid.) worth of train-oil, and 66,000 kr. of whale-blubber, in 1875, to 450,900 kr. of train-oil in 1879. The quantity of train-oil in 1879 waa 143,065 hectol. (of 22 gal.). Denmark, in 1878, exported 193,514 lb. of train-oil to Great Britain. Archangel, in 1878, exported 615 tons of train-oil, value 11,630/., to Germany.