SEALS WALKUS. 227 



The seal harvest is often a rich one to the poor fishermen 

 in the north of the Baltic, where many thousands are killed 

 every year ; for a grey seal of 400 Ib. weight has generally 

 240 Ib. of blubber, which, after the rate of 3 rqr. bco. per 

 20 Ib., gives a return of 36 rqr. bco., and the skin, which 

 is worth 3 to 5 rqr. more, is so that a good seal will probably 

 be worth 40 rqr. 



In the summer they have in many places in the Baltic a 

 method of taking the seals in very strong coarse nets. 



I have had a little seal shooting myself in the Bohus 

 Land coast. I recollect that if ever a seal floated after it 

 was shot it was always very fat, and generally a female. 

 The males were always thinnest, and sank when shot. 



GROUP 2. Incisors, . 

 Molars small, divided, edged at the points. 



Gen. Cystophora, Nilss. 



Head large, forehead broad and covered in the adult 

 male, with a tuberculated skin, like an inflated bladder. 



39. CYSTOPHOEA CRISTATA, Erxl. Bias Skal. (The Cowl 



Seal). F. 

 Length, 5 to 12 ft. 



The peculiar home of this curious -looking seal is the 

 Polar ocean, from which occasionally a young specimen 

 wanders down to the north coast of Norway and Finland. 



Tip of the nose covered with hair, blackish ; body 

 steel grey; in the young unspotted, in the older spotted 

 black j in the adult variegated with white, grey, and black. 



Fam. 2. WALRUS. 



Two long projecting tusks from the upper jaw, in which 

 are 2 to 4 incisors, but none in the under jaw. 



Gen. Trichechus. 



Body covered with coarse brown-yellow, brown, or grey 

 hair ; tusks 2 feet long. 



40. TRICHECHUS ROSMARUS, L. Hvalross. The Walrus. F. 



Length, 12 to 14 ft. 



