260 PHOCIDJ:. 



hunter, he will calmly await the approach of danger, 

 preparing for defence by betaking himself to the centre 

 of the piece of ice he is on, and blowing up the air- 

 bladder on his forehead, while he rears his head and 

 snuffs the air like an enraged bull, and often gives battle 

 successfully, making the clubs fly from the hands of his 

 assailants with his flippers, his head being protected as 

 by a helmet by the air-bladder. He will then in turn 

 act on the offensive and put his opponents to flight, 

 pursuing them with a shuffling serpent-like motion over 

 the ice ; the result often proving somewhat dangerous to 

 the panic-struck hunter if his boat has left that piece of 

 ice, as the Seal will use his tusks rather ferociously when 

 thus enraged. However, he is not inclined to give 

 battle unless provoked, and looks a dull stupid sort of 

 epicurean, as he lolls on the surface of the ice, and gazes 

 about with his large black eyes with an apparently un- 

 meaning stare." Fabricius compares the voice of this 

 species to the barking and whining of a dog. 



In its food this species resembles the other larger 

 Seals it is said by Fabricius to be particularly fond of 

 cod and flounders. Herr Malmgren describes it as more 

 pelagic in its habits than any other species, except Ph. 

 yrcenlandica, and as being very seldom found near land. 



The Hooded Seal is polygamous, and the males fight 

 desperately during the pairing season. One young one 

 is born on the ice about the month of April ; it is at first 

 pure white, but soon becomes darker. 



The adult male is distinguished by the large double 

 sac on its nose and forehead, which is divided by a carti- 

 laginous crest, a continuation of the nasal septum. In 

 a state of rest this hood is flaccid, but when the animal 

 is irritated it is fully inflated with air. The body is 

 long, but robust ; in the fore-paw, the first finger is the 



