280 CRUISE OF THE NEPTUNE 



rare in Hudson bay, especially during the summer season, and 

 are only occasionally seen at other times. 



The flesh and blubber are used by the natives for food and 

 fuel. The skins are used mostly for tentings and boot-legs, and 

 where the skin of the Ground seal is not available for boot- 

 bottoms. 



Plioco barbata, Fab. The Bearded seal, Big seal, Ground 

 seal, Square-flipper, (Oujuk, Eskimo,) is common on all the 

 coasts, and is the most abundant seal at Cape Haven, and Cape 

 Chidley on the eastern coast. 



It brings forth its young, which are born near an opening in 

 the shore-ice, about a month later than the Ringed seal. This 

 seal is next in size to the walrus, and its capture always brings 

 gladness to the Eskimos, providing, as it does, a large amount of 

 meat and blubber, while from its hide is cut an exceedingly 

 strong line used for dog-traces and other purposes. The dressed 

 skin is used for the soles of boots, for covering kyaks and 

 women's boats, for tentings, and many other purposes. The flesh 

 is coarser in texture, but less fishy in flavour, than that of the 

 smaller seals. The liver is said to be somewhat poisonous, and 

 is not often eaten. 



Cystophera cristata, Erxl. The Hooded seal, or Bladder- 

 nose, (ISTietshivok, Eskimo,) is a large and ferocious seal, 

 second in size only to the Big seal. It produces its young about 

 two weeks later than the Harps, and usually on ice farther off 

 the coast. " These seals make up the remainder of the catch of 

 the Newfoundland sealers. In the summer they are common at 

 Ponds inlet, and become rarer along the coasts to the southward. 

 The Hooded seal is unknown to the natives of Hudson bay, and 

 is an exceedingly rare visitor in Hudson strait. 



Trichechus rosmarus, Linn. The walrus, (Aivik, Eskimo,) 

 is found in all the northern waters, where it appears to prefer 

 the presence of floating ice, and rarely or never comes out on the 



