ITS HABITS. 411 



that during tempests he is sometimes driven on the rocks 

 and perishes. The account given by the fishermen to 

 Bishop Gunnerus, when on a visitation to those parts in 

 1770, is somewhat similar. They described " Klakke- 

 kallen " to be as large as an ox, with long brown hair on 

 the body, two hands with the fingers united, very short 

 arms, and wearing a cap. He was occasionally seen, they 

 said, standing bolt upright in the sea, and with his face 

 towards the wind. 



Once in a time this Seal would seem to have made its 

 appearance on the more southern coasts of the Peninsula, 

 for we read in " Holberg's History of Denmark " that 

 "in December, 1549, there was captured in the Sound, 

 near the town of Malmo, a fish of unheard-of size and 

 most remarkable shape. It had a head like xmto that 

 of a man, and on the top of it a crown resembling a 

 monk's cowl. The King, Christian III., caused this 

 fish to be preserved, and sent a drawing of it to the 

 Emperor Charles in Spain." 



The Hooded Seal, according to Sir Charles Giesecke 

 and his statement is corroborated by Scoresby attains 

 a length of from ten to twelve feet, but Fabricius says 

 only nine. The Arctic regions are its proper home, more 

 especially the coasts of Greenland and Spitzbergen. It 

 also visits Iceland. Fabricius tells us " it is only found 

 on the southern parts of Greenland, and delights in the 

 high seas, visiting the land chiefly in April, May, and 

 June." According to Crantz, " they are found mostly on 

 great ice-islands, where they sleep in an unguarded 

 manner. They arc found in great numbers in Davis 

 Straits, where they regularly make two voyages a year, 

 and remain from the month of September to the month of 

 March. They then depart to bring forth their young 

 and return with them in the month of June, when they 



