46 ZOOLOGICAL LOG OF THE SCOTIA 



Sept. 23rd. A strong easterly and south-easterly blizzard all day. No birds seen. 



S,'pf. 2-ith. While surveying around Cape Burn-Murdoch, saw many Weddell seals, 

 of which most had young. No males were seen nor any young without mothers. It 

 was noticeable that the head of the Weddell seal varies somewhat in shape, and though 

 usually blunt in front, in some specimens is more prolonged, and in these cases the head 

 bears some resemblance to that of Lobodon carcinopliagci. A mother seal was killed to- 

 day and its young captured alive. The brain of the adult has been taken out and pre- 

 served. The young seal is much whiter than the majority of the other pups. 



Numerous gulls and snowy petrels were seen and two or three nellies. 



Sept. 2,5th. Northerly wind and snow. Snowy petrels seen to-day. 



Sept. 26th. Heavy snowfall and southerly wind to-day. Snowy petrels seen. The 

 young seal is still alive but refuses to suck, although the cook forces him to take some 

 nourishment by pouring it down his throat. 



Sept. 27th. Gravill and I went out to look at the seals and young this forenoon. 

 The young seem to prefer to lie to leeward of their mothers, though it can hardly be said 

 that even at birth they seem to feel the cold. The young apparently use their fore- 

 flippers far more than the adult, and often we have seen a pup who appeared to be 

 scratching his head with his hand, or else simply playing. From measurement of young and 

 adult it is noticeable that the fore-flippers of the former are almost the size of the latter, 

 while the hind-flippers of the former are much smaller than these of the latter. 



Walker saw a seal pupping on Thursday. He says it took about ten minutes, and 

 that the mother roared almost continually during it. The umbilical cord was severed 

 by the young seal breaking it during birth; it was not bitten through by the mother. 



Snowies and black-backed gulls seen to-day. 



Sept. 28th. Snowies, black-backed gulls and several nellies were seen to-day. The 

 young seal on board is prospering and getting quite strong and energetic. The cook 

 feeds him regularly at frequent intervals with porridge, though it has to be poured down 

 his throat. He spends much of his time on the floe and frequently travels round the 

 ship. 



Sept. 29th. Birds seen were snowy petrels, black-backed gulls and nellies. 



Sept. 30th. Snowy petrels were seen and also a nelly which several times alighted 

 near the ship, attracted doubtless by the cran of a seal there. 



Oct. 1st. Snowy petrels seen to-day and also a Cape pigeon which settled on the 

 floe near the ship for some time. The baby seal continues to thrive. He lives chiefly 

 on the floe now, and is getting quite used to being handled, which he no longer resents. 

 He now recognises the cook who generally feeds him. 



Oct. 2nd. Snowies and a black- backed gull seen. Young seal apparently in good 

 health. 



Oct. 3rd. Gulls, nellies and two or three paddies seen to-day, the latter in the 

 vicinity of the seals at the mouth of the bay. Saw many seals, practically all with pups, 

 between Capes Martin and Burn-Murdoch. There was only one which possibly had not 



