SEALS AND SEAL SHOOTING 145 



general they descend for a considerable time un- 

 der water, and then remain on the surface, the 

 head only showing for two or three minutes. They 

 make no fuss in diving and never show their back 

 like some other seals, but just slip down out of 

 sight, as it were by their mere weight. They are 

 never specially sought after, except out of ven- 

 geance by the fishermen when they happen to des- 

 troy their nets, or else if wanted as specimens 

 for museums. I shot one for the Smithsonian 

 Institute some years ago. The surest way to 

 secure them is to decoy them in, near shoals, by 

 imitating their movements and bellowing. 

 Heavy shot or a rifle must be used and stormy 

 weather is the best time. Their sense of smell 

 is very keen, and care must be exercised on that 

 point. When the deception is well performed 

 they will actually come up on the shoal to fight 

 the occupant. Their color varies very much, ac- 

 cording to age. Adults are sometimes quite black 

 on the back with lighter markings on the sides. 

 The yearlings are yellowish with light greyish 

 blotches on the sides and back. 



(Note) Since the above was written a large 

 female of this species was killed at English Bay, 

 Manicouagan, on the 16th October, 1908. Mr. D. 

 Malouin, who killed it, says the foetus was about 

 three feet long and the mother eight feet. It 

 yielded twenty-two gallons of oil, which at 

 twelve pounds of fat per gallon, would give 264 



