24 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



The harp and hood seal are captured in nets made similar to those 

 used for the harbor seal, but of greater leugth, ami about 8-iuch mesh, 

 and moored in some similar position. It requires considerable tact to 

 manipulate a seal net. One of the many devices whereby seals art- 

 secured is to keep constant watch for the seals. When a herd appears 

 near the nets, shouting and firing of blank charges of powder are begun 

 to keep the herd underwater, so that they may the more surely become 

 entangled in the meshes of the net. After a sufficient time the nets 

 are visited and seals not already strangled by the netting are killed with 

 blows upon the nose. Seals will remain under water ordinarily about 

 five minutes, but if pursued or forced to it will remain ten, fifteen, or 

 even twenty minutes, while they will swim great distances without ap- 

 pearing on the surface for air. 



Ice hunting is practiced during the last of March and first of April, 

 along the drift, a few miles off the Labrador and ^Newfoundland coast, 

 though sometimes 60 to 80 miles away even. It has been discov- 

 ered that it is prejudicial to the interests of the hunters themselves 

 to start too early in the season for the hunting ground, as the supply is 

 greatly diminished by killing the old seal while the young are helpless, 

 even before they are born at all, as was formerly done to a great ex- 

 tent. The system of shares generally prevails here, as in the cod-fish- 

 ing, everything depending upon the abundance of the seals. When a 

 locality is found full of drift ice, on winch the " whitecoats " are partic- 

 ularly abundant, the men land and begin the slaughter. The seals are 

 killed by knocking on the end of the nose. They are then skinned 

 by a relay of men, or, as a rest from the exercise of " clubbing," by the 

 same set. The process of skinning or taking the pelt consists of cut- 

 ting the animal through skin and fat from nose to tail, while but a 

 short time suffices, to remove the carcass, which is then thrown over- 

 board, while the skin with its fat is laid out to cool and partially dry 

 before packing away. An average pelt weighs about 40 pounds, and 

 is about 21 feet square. The old seals are occasionally caught or shot, 

 being seen everywhere about in the surrounding water, but the slaugh- 

 ter is generally confined to the young. As the pelts are brought on 

 board they are stowed away in the hold, which is partitioned off to pre- 

 vent the shifting of such a mass of slippiug ballast, and wheu full the 

 vessel starts for home. . If the prospect for more seal is good I he cargo is 

 qnickiy unloaded and the vessel returns to renew the work of destruc- 

 tion. 



The skins, when landed are " skulped;" that is, the fat is taken off of 

 them and they are salted thoroughly and packed away to be sent to 

 the factory,- when they are used for knapsacks, trunk coverings, also 

 shoes, boots, gloves, hats and caps, and a variety of articles when com- 

 mon leather is loo thick and rough. In England they are converted 

 chiefly into one of the many varieties of patent leather. The process of 

 making seal oil is simple. The fat is cut into small fragments and put 



