EXPLORATIONS IN NEWFOUNDLAND AND LABRADOR. 723 



shine for hours at a time. The seals do not come on shore at any 

 convenient spot, but at a limited number of chosen localities, and these 

 vary according to the force and direction of the wind. Except in very 

 light breezes the lee-side of the island is selected, not entirely on ac- 

 count of the difficulty of effecting a landing on the windward side, but 

 ;ilso because the seal relies very largely upon its acute senses of smell 

 and hearing to warn it of approaching danger from the land. The 

 chosen landing-places are where a shelf of rock, raised but little above 

 the level of the sea, descends vertically for several feet beneath, thus 

 enabling the seal to plunge head first into the water and disappear at 

 ouce from sight. Before landing, the animal will swim back and forth 

 several times with head raised and eye, ear, and nose on the alert to 

 detect any sign of danger, the wary nature of the creature being well 

 shown by the fact that almost immediately after emerging from the 

 water, the animal turns completely around so as to lie with the head sea- 

 ward and in readiness for an instant dive. The fairer the day and the 

 lighter the breeze, the more readily the seals come ashore, while dur- 

 ing rough weather they not only do not land so often but are more 

 watchful when they do come out. The time for hauling out varies with 

 the state of the tide, and as nearly all the places where the right con- 

 ditions, as noted above, obtain, are covered at high water, it is between 

 the middle of the ebb and middle of the flood that the seals come 

 ashore. 



The hearing of this seal is extremely acute, as we had a most excel- 

 lent opportunity of ascertaining during the first of our attempts to 

 secure a specimen. A party had been landed on Mingan Island, and 

 while Mr. Palmer was engaged in searching for birds and botanical 

 specimens, Captain Collins and myself were looking for seals. The 

 wind at the time was blowing rather freshly from seaward, and a num- 

 ber of Gray Seals were discovered hauled out on the lee-side at a spot 

 so situated that there was unfortunately no cover nearer than 150 yards, 

 and even this was accessible only by crossing a patch of shingle some 

 50 yards wide and in full sight of the seals. Lying flat upon our 

 stomachs we began slowly and painfully wriggling across this open 

 space, the seals apparently taking no notice of our actions. About 

 half the distance had been traversed when the distant report of the 

 small collecting-gun, sounding no louder than a faint crack of a whip, 

 caused the entire group of seals to plunge into the water as promptly 

 as if they had been waiting for some preconcerted signal. Upon com- 

 ing to the surface at a sale distance from shore the seals swam back 

 and forth looking for the cause of the disturbance and diving whenever 

 the pop of the collecting-gun reached their ears. No enemy being 

 visible and everything becoming quiet, they once more returned to 

 shore, clambering out with more ease than one might suppose such 

 creatures would exhibit. No use is made of the hind flippers when on 

 laud, progression being effected by the front limbs and the abdominal 



