74 Southern Cross. 



LOBODON CARCINOPHAGUS. White Seal. 



(l^LATES IV.-V.) 



The White Seal, or Crab-eater, is the common Seal of the pack 

 ice, at any rate during the months of Antarctic summer. It is, 

 however, not confined to this belt of ice, but is also to be found 

 sparingly as far south as the great Ice Barrier, in company with 

 Weddell's Seal, which is the most common Seal of Itoss's Sea and of 

 South Victoria Land. Of the breeding habits of the Crab-eater 

 practically nothing is known. 



Its food is said by Dr. Eacovitza to consist of Eiqjhausia, and 

 in this connection may be quoted the interesting suggestions of 

 Capt. Barrett-Hamilton, " that the teeth of Zohodon may possibly 

 serve the animal as a sieve whereby to rid its month of the water 

 taken in with the Uujjhmtsia, somewhat after the manner of baleen 

 in the Balcenidm. For this purpose the teeth seem to be exactly 

 suited. They do not fit closely, but alternate with those of the 

 opposite jaw, so that the cusps form a perfect sieve." The teeth 

 show no evidence of mastication. 



It is worthy of notice that in the pack-ice the stomachs of all 

 the White Seals were quite empty. This was in the summer months, 

 when the moult was in progress, and probably points to the fact 

 that, while the new hair is still thin, the Seals, like the Penguins, 

 object strongly to entering the water, even for food. 



The moult starts in the first week of January, and is often far 

 advanced by the 16th of that month. It always begins with a line 

 down the middle of the back and on the flippers, both hind and fore, 

 spreading from these points till only a few patches of old hair remain 

 upon the sides. {Cf. also Borchgrevink, 'First on the Antarctic 

 Continent,' p. 382.) 



In life, the shape of the Crab-eater is less rounded than that 

 of Weddell's Seal, but when lying on the ice flattens out less than 

 Ross's Seal and the Leopard Seal. 



The colouring of this Seal shows great variation. It is known 

 as the " White " Seal from the creamy whiteness of its old winter coat. 

 This is changed during the summer for a very beautiful silky 

 greyish-brown coat, with more or less richly-marked mottling on the 

 shoulders, flanks, and sides of the head, and on the dark-brown 

 flippers. I have given illustrations (Plate V.) of the old winter 

 coat (Fig. 1), the coat in change (Fig. 2), and the new summer 



