TECHNICAL HISTORY SPECIES. 427 



characters. Yet in the light of present knowledge it is not 

 difficult to determine with considerable certainty the species he 

 mentioned. 



His " Land-Selur," called also " Wor-Selur " or Spring Seal, be- 

 cause it brings forth its young in the spring (1. c. 83, 329 r 

 524, 651-655,) is evidently the Phoca vitulina, at least in greater 

 part, but may be a general term for the smaller Seals found 

 in Iceland, and hence refer in part to Phoca fcetida. His "Ut- 

 Selur," called also " Wetrar-Selur," or Winter Seal, because it 

 brings forth its young at the beginning of winter (1. c. 

 329, 651-655) is without doubt the Halichcerus grypus. He says 

 it is much larger than the Land-Selur, but resembles it in 

 appearance, and brings forth its young on the island at the 

 time of the withering of the grass in the month of November 

 (1. c. 329). He also mentions not only the Walrus as of rare 

 occurrence in Iceland, but enumerates three other species of 

 Seals, two of which are identifiable. One of these is the " Yade- 

 Sal" or "Hav-Sal," said to be as large as the Ut-Selur, or 

 four elles long, but thicker and fatter, with a very strong skin. 

 It is described as being black in color, with large round spots,, 

 which are smaller on the back than on the sides. It swims in 

 a straight line, in great troops, and close together, in a certain 

 order, whence it derives its name " Vada," signifying a swim- 

 ming herd. One of them, commonly the largest, takes the 

 lead, and is called "Sale Konge" (King of the Seals). This 

 species is never seen on the land, but only on the drift-ice, 

 where it is hunted with harpoons, particularly on the Northern 

 Coast. It has its young in April, on the remote outlying rocks 

 and islands, for it goes away in March, and when it comes back 

 in May it has its young with it. This account, in almost every 

 particular, points to the Bearded Seal (Phoca barbata, auct.) 

 as the species indicated, with which the size, coloration, and 

 habits sufficiently agree. 



Another is the "Blaudru-Selur" or " Blase-Seehund," which 

 is here rarely met with and killed. It has a protuberance re- 

 sembling a bladder on the head over the nose, where the skin 

 is loose, so that the animal can suddenly draw it with the fat 

 down upon the nose. He says it is uncertain whether this is 

 the Phoca leonina of Linne, for the character capite antice cris- 

 tate does not agree. He also raises the question whether it can 

 be the Sea Bear, and decides it in the negative, and gently crit- 

 icises the above-named author for referring all the Seals to one- 



