44 ZOOLOGICAL LOG OF THE SCOTIA 



seals' skeletons from the hole where the Giesbrecht net was lowered, depth 14 fathoms. 

 Several aiuphipocls were on the carcases. Snowy petrels and four black-backed gulls 

 were seen. 



Baby seal's umbilical cord came off to-day. 



Sept. 17 th.- Only one nelly and a gentoo penguin were seen. Mossman saw two 

 penguins on the ice in Jessie Bay. The baby seal still refuses to take food freely. 



Sept.'l8th. Two or three black-backed gulls and a few snowy petrels were seen 

 to-day. The baby seal still refuses food, so we filled a football bladder with milk and 

 by means of a tube poured the milk straight into its stomach. 



Sept. 19th. Nellies, snowy petrels, black-backed -gulls, two penguins (too far off 

 to distinguish species) and two shags were seen during the forenoon. In the afternoon 

 the weather became misty. We feed the seal by means of the football bladder three 

 times a day ; each meal consists of f -pint unsweetened milk. 



Sept. 20th. Nellies, snowy petrels and black-backed gulls were seen many times 

 during the day. The baby seal was seized with convulsions before breakfast this morning, 

 and by 8 P.M. she was dead. Brown, Mossman and I -went out this afternoon towards 

 the penguin rookery at Point Martin to have a look at the seals with their young. Near 

 the point on which the rookery is situated we saw about a dozen seals, nine with young- 

 ones. One had just given birth, and while we were looking at it, the placenta came 

 away, which Brown secured and brought to the ship. None of the mothers tried to kill 

 or injure their young ones on our near approach, though in one or two cases they tried 

 to drive us away. Some of the young ones were evidently two or three weeks old, others 

 about as many days, and one was just born, the colour of which was dark, and the length 

 about 2 feet 6 inches. AVe saw one youngster much lighter in colour than the others. 

 Three of the seals we saw were without young ; from two of them I believe we had 

 already taken their young, whilst the third seemed about to give birth. All these seals 

 were Leptonycliotes weddelli, and in this case, as on previous occasions, we did not see 

 any males. 



Sept. list. Round about Delta Island saw over two dozen Weddell seals, of which 

 number one was a male, lying about 100 yards distant from the females. The rest were 

 all females, and as far as we could see every one had a young one with it ; some of the 

 youngsters were much older than the others. We also noticed the two different colours 

 of the young ones some of a lighter colour, others darker. Only one of the mothers 

 tried to damage its young on our approach ; we, however, instantly moved off, fearing 

 for the cub's life, and did not go near the mother who was immediately appeased. The 

 other mothers greeted us with the characteristic, Weddell seal's bark and the peculiar 

 noise which they make when anyone goes near them. They also attempted to drive us 

 away, failing which they moved off for a little distance. I noticed one little one lying- 

 asleep with its nose and half its head buried in the snow. Several snap-shots were 

 taken of the seals. 



We also saw about six more Weddell seals in Mill Cove and at Cape Nan Anderson. 



