Measurements and Weights of Antarctic Seals taken by the Scottish National 

 Antarctic Expedition. By William S. Bruce, LL.D., F.R.S.E., Director of the 

 Scottish Oceanographical Laboratory, Edinburgh. (With One Text-Diagram and 

 Two Plates.) 



(MS. received February 18, 1913. Read March 17, 1913. Issued separately August 4, 1913.) 



During the voyage of the Scotia in the Weddell Sea, and during her wintering at Scotia 

 Bay, South Orkneys, I measured as many of the seals taken as possible. I was usually 

 assisted in this work by Mr WILTON. When a seal was killed near the ship, and it could 

 be arranged, I also weighed them both in whole and in part, weighing the different viscera 

 as at a human post-mortem examination. The results of these investigations are now 

 summarised in tabular form, which makes it easy at a glance to make comparisons. In 

 addition to the measurements and weights of the true seals of the Antarctic regions, 

 those of a fine specimen of Otaria jubata (the Patagonian Sea-lion) secured at the 

 Falkland Islands are also given. 



Leptonychotes weddelli (the Weddell Seal). 



Of the true seals twenty-seven of the thirty-three specimens of Leptonychotes 

 weddelli taken were measured, and, except in a few cases, in great detail, and several 

 were weighed in whole or part. The longest Weddell Seal was a female measuring 

 129^ inches and weighing 908 Ibs., while the heaviest, also a female, measured 124 inches 

 and scaled 920 Ibs., or about 940 Ibs. counting loss of blood, etc., in cutting up. Both 

 these were secured towards the end of September. Another female, killed on 28th August, 

 was also of large size, but as it was killed three miles from the ship its weight could not 

 be taken, neither was it measured. The largest male secured was 117 inches long. 



Eleven adult females were taken and six adult males ; six young females and ten 

 young males. It is doubtful whether this indicates any real proportion of sexes. It 

 may be due to the males going further afield than the females, especially just prior to 

 and after the birth of the young. Many hundreds if not thousands of these Weddell 

 Seals could have been obtained, but science did not demand that extensive slaughter 

 which sealing expeditions indulge in.* I made a point of not allowing more killing 

 than was necessary for food supply and for scientific purposes. Weddell Seals were 

 never seen in the pack, except in the vicinity of Coats Land and the South Orkneys. 



It will be noticed that about 250 Ibs. of blubber may be obtained from a single 

 seal, i.e. more than a quarter of the weight of the whole animal. The enormous weight 



* Fully 6(KX) seals of the four Antarctic species were killed by the Balcma in 1892-93. They were mostly Crab- 

 eaters and Sea-leopards. Upwards of 25,000 were killed by four Dundee whalers and one Norwegian whaler at 

 that time. 



Thanks are due to the Executive Committee of the Carnegie Trust of the Universities of Scotland for defraying 

 the expenses of this paper and that entitled " Skulls of Antarctic Seals," recently published. 



(REPRINTED FROM THE TRANSACTIONS OK THE ROYAL SOCIETY OF EDINBURGH, VOL. XLIX., PP. 567-577.) 



