408 THE BEAKDED Oil GREAT SEAL. 



each way, it can keep the sportsmen in play a couple 

 of hours before it is so spent that they can surround and 

 kill it. If in its fright it retreats to land, it is welcomed 

 with sticks and stones by the women and children, and 

 presently pui'sued by the men in the rear." 



The Greenland Seal has many enemies hesides man. 

 Among the rest, the Polar Bear, which, as seen in the 

 annexed drawing, often preys on such of them that it 

 iinds reposing on an ice-field. 



In the ocean itself, again, the more formidable species 

 of whales are perpetually making bloody and successful 

 war upon this Seal. "These whale-hunts," Rosted tells 

 us, " are frequently taken advantage of by the Green- 

 landers, and when the Seals are hemmed in by the whales, 

 they join in the pursuit, and come in for a large share of 

 the booty," Then, again, the Grampus frequently destroys 

 the Greenland Seal. It is, indeed, said, that if the monster 

 sees one of these animals basking on a small " floe," he 

 will either use his best endeavours to overturn the latter, 

 or, with his powerful fins, beat the ci*eature from off" its 

 resting-place into the water, where it becomes an easy 

 prey to the pursuer. 



The Bearded or Great Seal {lEaf-Ert SMI, Sw. ; P. 

 barbata, Tabr.) has also found a place in the Scandinavian 

 Fauna ; partly, as it would seem, on the authority of 

 Hosted, who represents it as making its appearance at 

 times on the north-western coast of Norway, and partly 

 because the people of Helgeland say that in the winter 

 a large Seal, resembling an old man, Avith a grey hushy 

 beard, is occasionally visible thereabouts. A specimen 

 (a young one) of what is believed to be this species is now 

 in the Museum at Lund, and it is from this specimen, 

 as I have reason to believe, that the annexed drawing 

 was taken by the late M. Korner. 



This species is the largest of the northern Seals, 



