the greater portion of them is silver-grey, while that of the 

 wigs is dark brown-; both old and young are of lighter 

 shade underneath. The layer of fat, or blubber, between 

 the- skin and the flesh, may average one and a half inch in 

 thickness, according to the time the animal has been on 

 shore, it being very fat when the season begins, and very 

 lean when the season is over, which changes the animal's 

 appearance from its former robust condition. When in 

 full flesh, the adult female weighs about 85 Ibs. 



It is very rarely that the female has more than one pup, 

 and the time of gestation is about ten months. The time 

 of bringing forth, or the pupping season, on the coast of 

 California, is from May to August, and on the coast of 

 Patagonia, and the latitudes near Cape Horn, from October 

 to March. 



The flesh of the pup-seal when six weeks old or more, 

 is esteemed by the seal-hunters as equal to the best mutton, 

 if properly cooked. The flesh of the yearling seal is some- 

 what darker than beef, it is juicy and tender, but lacks the 

 sweetness and flavour of beef, and is less firm and nutritious. 

 I am indebted to a work on Marine Mammalia, by Captain 

 Scammon, of the U.S. Revenue Marine, for many of the 

 foregoing facts. And also to the Canadian Commissioner 

 at this Exhibition, for some information as to the seal 

 fisheries on the Canadian coast. 



There can be no doubt but that in consequence of the 

 great destruction of seals within the past fifty years, seals 

 are getting both scarce and wary. Sealing is now being 

 carried on by steam-vessels, manned by large crews, and 

 the effect of this is, that two trips can now be made in 

 place of one formerly made by the sailing-vessels. Some 

 more stringent State supervision of the seal-fisheries would 

 doubtless result, in course of time, in increased numbers of 



