158 Lloyd's natural history. 



p. 53) gave an account of three Seals seen by himself in West 

 Loch Tarbet, off Jura, which he confidently identified with the 

 Harp-Seal; and three others have been reported from Loch 

 Scridain, in Mull. Mr. Harvie Brown records a Seal shot at 

 Kintradwell some time previous to 1870 as referable in all pro- 

 babihty to this species ; while he adds that one killed, although 

 lost, by himself in the Hebrides, was likewise a Harp-Seal. 

 Finally, a Seal shot in county Gal way, about the year 1856, 

 is considered to indicate the right of this species to be included 

 in the list of Irish Mammals. 



Habits. — Like the Ringed Seal, the Harp-Seal is found chiefly 

 on, or in the neighbourhood of, ice, frequenting both the solid 

 ice-fields and the detached floes. It diff'ers, however, from that 

 species in that it does not make a breathing-hole in the ice for 

 fishing. Writing of its habits in Spitsbergen, Professor Alfred 

 Newton writes that the Harp-Seal "is of a sociable disposition, 

 and we saw it in herds of not less than fifty in number. These 

 were very fond of swimming in line, their heads only above 

 water, engaged in a game of ' Follow-my-leader,' for, on the first 

 Seal making a roll over or a spring in the air, each Seal of the 

 whole procession on arriving at the same spot did the like, and 

 exactly in the same manner." In addition to consuming large 

 quantities of Salmon and other fish, this Seal likewise feeds 

 upon molluscs and crustaceans. During the month of March, 

 while on the field-ice, the female Seal gives birth to her offspring 

 which may be either one, two, cr even, it is said, occasionally 

 three in number. The white baby-coat is retained by the young 

 Seal for two or three weeks ; and it is not till after losing this 

 that it takes to the water. 



THE HOODED SEALS. GENUS CYSTOPHORA. 

 Cystophora^ Nilsson, Skandinav. Fauna vol. i. p. 382 (1820). 

 This genus differs from the two previously mentioned in that 



