134 SEALS AND SEAL SHOOTING 



apparently going down to the bottom and rolling 

 there. On returning to the surface the head will 

 generally be swollen and with nose pointed up- 

 wards and eyes closed tightly, they will float, bot- 

 tle fashion. They should then be approached 

 very close in order to finish them, as if in poor 

 condition they sink very fast when in that posi- 

 tion. The harp seal has peculiarities which en- 

 ables one to distinguish it from other varieties 

 and to act accordingly. One of these is the queer 

 habit it has of swimming on its back with only 

 the tip of the nose and throat, and now and then 

 a portion of the chest out of water. Whole 

 herds will sometimes swim in this manner, travel- 

 ling at the rate of ten or twelve miles an hour. 

 It is useless to shoot at them in that position, as 

 no vital part is exposed. A slight noise or a whis- 

 tle, will sometimes cause them to raise the head 

 so as to secure a shot. Another of their peculiar- 

 ities is that of bobbing up and down three or four 

 times in the same place and throwing the head 

 back, frequently diving that way. They are also 

 fond of following in the wake of a canoe, and ad- 

 vantage is always taken of this fact. When a 

 seal is sighted, the canoe is directed near the place 

 where it rose, but not over it. The canoe is then 

 turned around and backed slowly with the pad- 

 dles, the shooter watching in the wake, and the 

 chances are that the seal will come up in it. If 

 very close, no movement must be made, when, 



