30 



the shore at all seasons of the year; in winter at the blow holes 

 in the smooth ice and in summer in the bays and fiords. The Big, 

 or Bearded seal {iv'djiik), Pagomys harhalus, and the Ranger or 

 Freshwater seal {kas-iyiak )are found farther out on the ice-edge 

 (se'n-a) where the shore or bay ice meets the ever-shifting 

 winter pack. As they are much larger than the common seal, 

 and one constitutes a big feed for one family, the Eskimo usually 

 divide them with their fellow-villagers. 



VARIETIES OF LABRADOR SEAL AND OTHER SEA MAMMALS. 



The Eskimo of Labrador distinguish the following varieties 

 of seal : 



Kas-i'yiak {Callecephalus vitulunus, Linn.), commonly called 

 the Ranger or Freshwater seal. This variety is much sought 

 after by the Eskimo on account of its beautiful, spotted skin. 

 The hide is dressed with the hair on, and used chiefly for orna- 

 mental purposes, as in fancy bags and gloves, or trimmings to 

 boot-leg tops, and in the garments of the women. The Ranger is 

 the only seal known to inhabit fresh water. It is found at the 

 mouths of rivers, along the coasts, in the inlets and bays, and 

 is also said to inhabit the interior lakes of Labrador and Baffin 

 island. 



The young are born in the month of June, kuci'gi'alut, 

 which takes its name from the young Ranger, kiici'giukciuk. 



Ne'tceq {Pagomys foetidus Fab.), commonly called the Jar 

 seal. This is the most common seal on the coast. Its meat is a 

 staple article of food, and its hide forms the ordinary material 

 for clothing. The skin is also used for bags (po'ksrut) and the 

 tent {tw'pik). The dressed skin with the hair removed is used 

 for boot legs, and when the larger and heavier skins of the Harp 

 or Bearded seal cannot be obtained, it is used for the kayak 

 cover. 



The young are born in the month of March, ne'tcelivt, 

 to which they give its name. The mother gives birth to them 

 in an excavation which she has scraped out of a snow 

 bank conveniently near an air hole in the ice. The Eskimo, 

 at this season of the year, keep a sharp lookout for these little 

 snow hummocks, in which they are assisted by the keen scent 



