EEPORT OF AMERICAN COMMISSIONERS. 383 



Robert Warren, in a note in The Zoologist for Hair-seais. 

 1880 (3d series, Vol. IV, pp. 358-359) states that 

 a gray seal (Ilaliclioerus gryi)lius) was shot in 

 Killala Bay while in the act of devouring a fine 

 salmon. "On receiving the ball through the 

 hinder part of his head, he sunk out of sight, but 

 was thrown ashore by the next tide, and even 

 then retained a part of the salmon between his 

 jaws." 



The reason seals in general sink when killed ^.^Jj,^-'^®^^ ^*^*^* 

 in the water is that the specific gravity of their 

 flesh and bones collectively is considerably 

 greater than that of water, while the specific 

 gravity of the layer of fat beneath the skin is 

 less than that of water. This layer of blubber 

 is much thicker in the hair-seals than in the fur- 

 seals, but is not thick enough to float the body ; 

 consequently, even the hair-seals sink when 

 killed at sea. It is true that a certain percent- 

 age of seals killed in the water float long enough 

 10 be recovered. Such seals, as a rule, are shot 

 through the lungs, permitting enough air to 

 escape from the lungs into the body cavity and 

 wounded tissues to cause them to float. Pelagic 

 sealers admit that seals shot in the head, when 

 the rest of the body is under water, are almost 

 certain to sink before they can be reached. 



