254 THE LIFE OF E. J. PECK 



" But these little creatures are very wary, and are 

 by no means easily caught. Even on the day of 

 their birth they are able, if alarmed and their hear 

 ing is remarkably acute to slip down into the sea 

 below ; this acuteness of hearing makes it exceed 

 ingly difficult to get near their dwellings without 

 being heard. 



" The mother seal, also, uses every precaution 

 for the safety of her baby ; and should she hear any 

 noise on the top of the snow, as she will probably be 

 in the vicinity of the little dwelling, if not actually 

 inside suckling her little one, will take hold of her 

 baby with her teeth, as a cat will carry her kitten, 

 and plunge down through the escape hole into the 

 sea. She then swims to another hole, for she has 

 several others in the neighbourhood, constructed 

 as means of retreat in times of danger. 



" Young seals that are captured are generally 

 those which the mother has left for a short time 

 while she is diving in search of food ; or again, others 

 may be captured when the crust of snow becomes 

 soft by mild weather or the mid-day rays of the 

 sun, and the hunter is able then to remove the snow 

 roof of the house noiselessly and quickly. 



" The Eskimos use the skins of the young seals 

 for their inside coats and trousers, and the flesh is 

 considered a delicacy. 



" As regards the trip on which I went, nothing 

 came of it ; we were quite unsuccessful. Several 



