THE CHILDREN OF THE COLD. 



neath the skin, and the hunter draws her 

 to the top of the ice, crushes in the snow 

 with his heavy heel, and then kills the 

 captured seal. 



Sometimes the mother seal seeks a 

 breathing-hole under the deepest snow 

 and makes a much larger dome, so 

 that the ice will form a shelf two or 

 t n r e e feet in 

 width. Kere the 

 little " kittens," 

 or baby seals, 

 spend their time 

 until they are 

 big enough to try to swim with their 

 mother and learn to care for them- 

 selves. Here, too, she brings them 

 food, and when disturbed, hurries away, 

 leaving her kittens on their ice shelf, 

 where they are safe from harm, be- 



THE LEDGES FOR THE SEAL BABIES. 



