636 PHOCA GROENLANDICA HARP SEAL. 



the female present the same dark-chestnut appearance as in the 

 male. 77 



Iii respect to the color of the young, and to changes of color 

 with age, he observes : " (a) The colour after birth is a pure woolly 

 white, which gradually assumes a beautiful yellowish tint when 

 contrasted with the stainless purity of the Arctic snow ; they are 

 then called by the sealers i white-coats, 7 or * whitey-coats 7 j and 

 they retain this colour until they are able to take to the water 

 (when about 14 or 20 days old). 77 At this time the color <(/?) 

 . begins to change to that of a dark speckled and then 

 spotted hue ; these are denominated ' hares ' by the sealers. (Y) 

 This colour gradually changes to a dark bluish colour on the 

 back, while on the breast and belly it is of a dark silvery hue. 

 Young Seals retain this appearance throughout the summer and 

 are termed 'Bluebacks 7 by the sealers of Spitzbergen/Aglektok 7 

 by the Greenlanders, Blaa-siden by the Danes. (3) The next 

 stage is called Millaktok by the Greenlanders. The Seal is 

 then approaching to its mature coat, getting more spotted, &c., 

 and the saddle-shape band begins to form, (e) The last stage 

 (in the male to which these changes refer) is the assumption of 

 the halfmoon-shaped mark on either side, or the ' saddle 7 as it, 

 is called by the northern sealers. 



"I consider that about three years are sufficient to complete 

 these changes. This is also the opinion held in Newfoundland, 

 though the Greenland people consider that five years are nec- 

 essary. I wish, however, to say that these changes do not pro- 

 ceed so regularly as is usually described, some of them not last- 

 ing a year, others longer, while, again, several of the changes 

 are gone through in one year ; in fact, the coats are always 

 gradually changing, though some of the more prominent ones 

 may be retained a longer and others a shorter time. It would 

 require a very careful and extended study of this animal to decide 

 on this point, which, owing to their migrations, it is impossible 

 to give. After all, these changes and their rapidity vary accord- 

 ing to the season and the individual, and really will not admit 

 of other than a general description. 77 * 



Dr. Rink gives the weight of a full-grown Saddleback of me- 

 dium size as 353 pounds, the skin and blubber weighing 116 

 pounds, the blubber alone in winter amounting to 80 pounds, 



*Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1868, pp. 417-420 ; Man. Nat. Hist., Geol. and Phys. 

 of Greenland, etc., 1875, Mam., pp. 45-49. Compare alse vouHeugliu, Reisen 

 nach dem Nordpolarmeer, etc., 1874, pp. 53-54. 



