SEALS 191 



their right sides when on ice. I refer, of course, 

 to large barbata seals, for the vitulina sleeps 

 on either side or on its back. 



Since that memorable night of 1905, I have 

 shot barbata seals both in Greenland and Franz 

 Joseph ice-fields, but nowhere have I ever 

 encountered these animals congregated in great 

 numbers. 



In the neighbourhood of Greenland the 

 hooded and blue seals take the place of the 

 barbata. The blue seal, which to some degree 

 resembles the barbata, differs only because of 

 its bluish-grey hair, which becomes grey in 

 older animals. The barbata is deep brown. 

 Its moustache also is not so white. Its head 

 appears darker and smaller, whilst its body 

 appears like a pudding. Its anterior members 

 are ridiculously small, seeming little more than 

 appendices. 



The fur of the blue seal is very beautiful 

 and soft to the touch, but the animal is rather 

 repugnant owing to its close resemblance to the 

 leech. 



The first of this species I shot was on 

 July i, 1909. 



We were sailing towards Wollaston Foreland, 

 when two large seals were sighted on floating 

 ice in the middle of a wide spread of free water. 



