128 THE PUPS. 



George Comer, p. 598 Until the pup sheds his black hair lie is entirely 

 (Antarctic). dependent on his mother's milk for sustenance. 



Pups require the nourishment from their mothers for at least three 



^ TT _, J7 _,„ or four mouths after their birth, and would perish 



TV. H. Ball, p. 23. tf depriyed of the game> 



The only means of sustenance for a pup while it remains on the island 

 is nursing, which it continues till it takes its de- 

 Saml. Falconer, p. 165. parture sometime in November, as a rule; but dur- 

 ing one exceptionally warm winter some seals re- 

 mained about the island during the whole winter. 



The pups have no sustenance except what the cows furnish and no 

 j F f 16" cow suc ^ es any pup but her own. The pups 



would suck any cow if the cow would let them. 



The difference between a well nourished pup and one starving to 

 death is also easily recognized; one being plump 



TV. S.Hereford, p. 33. and lively, growing extremely rapidly, the other 

 slowly dwindling away, its body becoming lean, 

 long, and lanky, the head being the largest and most conspicuous part. 

 The poor little thing finally drops from sheer exhaustion in its tracks, 

 being only a matter of time before it succumbs to starvation. In refer- 

 ence to the time a newly-born seal could live without its mother's care, 

 I can say that I have known one particular pup seal to have posi- 

 tively existed for a period of at least two weeks or more from the 

 moment of birth with not over a pint or so of cow's milk, at the most, 

 which had to be forced down its throat. Perhaps this will be best 

 understood by explaining the circumstances. 



Little " Jiinmie," as this particular pup was called, was the child of 

 adverse circumstances, as his mother happened accidentally to be caught 

 in a large drive and could not be separated from the herd until the 

 killing ground was reached. Shortly after being parted out and al- 

 lowed to go free, on her way to the water she hurriedly gave birth to 

 this pup and continued on her journey. The pup was watched care- 

 fully for a few days, and when it was thought to have been deserted a 

 kind-hearted employe of the company, ]\lr. Allis, brought it into the 

 village with a double view T of trying to save its life as well as to make 

 a pet of it. For the first few days, as nobody could manage to make 

 him eat and as he would generally get the best of some friendly finger 

 in these attempts at feeding, he was let severely alone. They followed 

 various contrivances, mechanical and otherwise, for holding his head 

 so as to feed him with a spoon or a nursing bottle, but all to no pur- 

 pose, for he would get most of the milk everywhere but where it was 

 intended to go. This went on for all of two weeks or more. I then 

 equipped myself with a large syringe and a flexible tube, and about a 

 pint or so of warm, fresh cow's milk. Little "Jimmie's" mouth was 

 kept open, the tube was passed down his throat into his stomach, the 

 syringe filled with milk, in quantity as before stated, and which was 

 unanimously agreed was not too much for him at one feeding, was 

 slowly injected down the tube into his stomach. After the operation 

 the tube was carefully withdrawn and "Jimmie" was left to his own 

 devices. The pup, much to the gratification and amusement of all 

 present, immediately began to show in the most unmistakable manner 

 the greatest of seal delight, i. e. 7 to lie down in the various positions 



