BULLETIN OF THE UNITED STATES PTSH COMMISSION. 23 



fouudlaud are seriously affected if large quantities of seal occur in thai 

 region the same year. 



The Hooded seal's (Cystophora cristata, Nilsson) general characteristics 

 much resemble those of the Harp, though it probably takes much less 

 time to mature. The adult male and female are very much alike, and 

 the. hair bluish black without trace of yellow, save the gloss on the sur- 

 face of the coat, and the light yellow spots all over. Its size is from 

 7 to 9 feet; weight 000 to 700 pounds ; and it produces about the same 

 quantity of oil as the Harp seal. The movable cup or hood which 

 appears upon the head of the male about the breeding season is proba- 

 bly peculiar to that time and sex. 



The Hooded seal seems to keep close company in migrations and 

 breeding with the harp seal, and, as far as we can say, many of the 

 peculiarities of the one species are common to the other. They are 

 much less abundant, and more irregular in occurrence than the harp, 

 however. From accounts received from hunters on the coast this is 

 the most dangerous of the seals. When pursued and wounded it will 

 light fiercely. In migrations the males and females proceed in separate 

 herds, the one preceding the other in autumn by a week or ten days; 

 usually, the females appear first, 1 believe. This, I believe, is also true 

 of the harp seal. 



Seal hunting on the ice along the Labrador and Newfoundland shores, 

 formerly a considerable industry, is now generally conducted by small 

 vessels of 10 to 40 or 50 tons' burden, manned by five to twelve men 

 each. The average catch is from several hundred to several thousand 

 lor. each vessel. A few large steamers only are now engaged in this 

 enterprise. While on the coast one steamer found an unusually large 

 held of floating ice covered with seals, old and young. The men turned 

 to and killed 5,000 young seals in a single day, piling them upon the 

 ice to be skinned the next day. That night the weather moderated, the 

 ice did not freeze, and the weight of the seals breaking the mass, every 

 seal was lost. The next day the men, not to be discouraged, turned to 

 and before night had again killed as many more, which they proceeded 

 to skin at once, thus saving all. 



On the Labrador coast the most noted fisheries are Whale Head and 

 neighboring posts, under the supervision of Joseph G-allishon ; La Taba- 

 tiere, under Samuel Eobertson, whose statement, previously quoted, was 

 of such a surprising nature ; Great Mecattina, under Samuel Gaumouf ; 

 minor stations at Old Fort Island, Bradore Bay, L'Anse des Dunes, 

 Long Point, Five Leagues; and in Newfoundland Labrador, Mr. Davis's 

 establishment at Point Amour. At these various places the catch was 

 chiefly adult harp and hooded seals, with occasionally a 'f square flip- 

 per," and amounted in 1878 to about 2,700. A few of these were young 

 harps, which, in their second and third year, go by the name of " Bed- 

 lamer," or " Bellamer," at least on " the Labrador," the very old ones 

 going by the name of " saddlers." 



