20 BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES FISH COMMISSION. 



to frighten the seal. This trapping' is carried on in all seasons of open 

 water from spring to fall. This is the only species found on the coast 

 The year around. The skin is worked into all sorts of fancy articles; 

 the blubber makes first-class oil, and the flesh of the young is good 

 eating, if nicely broiled before the coals without the fat. As far as I 

 can learn, the female gives "birth to but a single young seal. 



In the spring and fall these seals are abundant all along the flats at 

 low tide, where they herd in large numbers. I have seen them thus 

 perched on the flat stones along a few rods of beach so thick that all 

 seemed one black mass of bodies. The least disturbance, and the whole 

 herd flop off into the shallow water and hurry to sea, and in a moment nor, 

 a seal is left. Soon one hundred heads are seen, in as manv directions as 

 many rods from shore, in the surrounding water, and they continue to 

 swim about and watch the intruder till either he goes, or, satisfied that 

 they cannot land again, they disappear to some other chosen spot, or 

 sport in the water at their pleasure. They come ashore mostly at low 

 tide, and in the evening about sunset. They love to bask in the sun- 

 light during the daytime on the flat rocks along shore. They are very 

 hard to kill with shot or ball, but if caught far on land are soon dis- 

 patched with even a moderate blow on the < nd of the nose. They eat 

 fish, often robbing the salmon and probably the trout nets also of the 

 fisherman. They also eat Crustacea and small shell-fish, shrimps, &c. 

 Some of the fishermen told me that they fed on a species of tender 

 kelps at the bottom of the shallow passes between the rocks and islands, 

 and on small sea animals. Their curiosity is very great, and a peculiar 

 mode of enticing them within gunshot is practiced by the inhabitants, 

 who dress in a black suit, pull a black cap over their heads, and, going 

 to some flat rock, lie over it much as a live seal would do, keeping the 

 face down aud the gun ready ; the voice is then made to imitate the 

 bellow or rather hoarse bark of a seal. The animal mistakes the per- 

 son for another animal of his own tribe and gradually swims up to kiai, 

 frequently diving and appearing again as he swims around; when 

 finally near enough, as the animal dives, the hunter clutches his gun and 

 takes aim at where he expects the seal to appear ; the minute it shows its 

 head he fires, generally killing or wounding the animal ; he then rushes 

 out to his boat, shoves off, and secures the booty. A seal, if only 

 wounded, will dive and not appear again on the surface of the water 

 unless at a great distance away. If shot dead it will float at once if 

 very fat ; if not it rises in a few moments, timed by the fatness or lean- 

 ness of the animal ; the fatter they are the quicker they rise, so that 

 the hunter is sure of his game in the end if he kills it. 



The Einged seal {Phoca fcetida Fabricius) is rather rare, as far as I 

 can learn, upon the Labrador coast. It is found all the season around, 

 like the harbor seal; and with it, having also many of its habits. It is 

 distinguished by its smaller size, aud it is said, "can always be recog- 

 nized by the length of the first digit of the maims, which slightly ex,- 



