394 ITS BREEDING HABITS. 



spring advances, however, the " Blas-hal " becomes so 

 roomy as to admit of the animal's creeping np on tlie 

 ice ; and of a warm day, w^hen the sun is shining bright, 

 it may often be seen basking in its rays at the edge of 

 the aperture. It is the popular belief that the "Blas-hal " 

 is made by the breath of the Seal; as, also, tliat let the 

 tliickness of the ice be what it may, it can form one at 

 pleasure. But this is surely fiction. The proliability is 

 that the perforation is made by the Seal at the setting in of 

 the Avinter, when the ice is quite thin, and that from the 

 subsequent daily application of its teeth and claws, the 

 hole is not only kept open, but finally assumes the singular 

 sliape mentioned. 



The Common Seal, according to E. Rosted (a high 

 authoritv in the last century as regards the Phocidai), 

 " pairs in September, Avhen connexion mostly takes place 

 on a rock, the animals in the while embracing each other 

 with their flippers. They then congregate in considerable 

 numbers. The males fight desperately amongst them- 

 selves, and one often sees them leap a fathom or more out 

 of the water, and then dive head foremost, which also 

 happens Avhen they expect bad weather." 



The female, M. Wilhelm von Wright tells us — and 

 there is no better authority, he having long studied the 

 habits of Seals — brings forth about midsummer, but has 

 never more than a single young one (German and English 

 naturalists say occasionally two), which almost imme- 

 diately after birth takes to the water. The mother, with 

 her fore paws, assists it on to some low-lying rock, where 

 she gives it suck. CneiflF says this is only for about a 

 week, but Ekstrom extends the period of lactation to the 

 middle of August.* 



* " It is a commonly received opiuion," the celebrated Dr. Samuel 

 Odman relates, " that every time the female thus gives uourishment to htr 

 offspring it incre;\ses a pound iu weight." 



