282 OUR ARCTIC PROVINCE. 



As I have said before, the females, soon after landing, are de 

 livered of their young. Immediately after the birth of the pup 

 (twins are rare, if ever) the little creature finds its voice a weak, 

 husky blaat and begins to paddle about with its eyes wide open 

 from the start, in a confused sort of way for a few minutes, until 

 the mother turns round to notice her offspring and give it atten- 

 tion, and still later, to suckle it ; and for this purpose she is sup- 

 plied with four small, brown nipples, almost wholly concealed in 

 the fur, and which are placed about eight inches apart, lengthwise 

 with the body, on the abdomen, between the fore and hind flippers, 

 with about four inches of space between them transversely. These 

 nipples are seldom visible, and then faintly seen through the hair 

 and fur. The milk is abundant, rich, and creamy. The pups nurse 

 very heartily, almost gorging themselves ; so much so, that they 

 often have to yield up the excess of what they have taken down, 

 mewling and puking in a most orthodox manner. 



The pup at birth, and for the next three months, is of a jet- 

 black color, hair and flippers, save a tiny white patch just back of 

 each forearm. It weighs from three to four pounds, and is twelve 

 to fourteen inches long. It does not seem to nurse more than once 

 every two or three days ; but in this I am very likely mistaken, for 

 it may have received attention from its mother in the night, or 

 other times in the day when I was unable to keep up my watch 

 over the individual which I had marked for this supervision. 



The apathy with which the young are treated by the old on the 

 breeding grounds, especially by the mothers, was very strange to 

 me, and I was considerably surprised at it. I have never seen a seal- 

 mother caress or fondle her offspring ; and should it stray to a short 

 distance from the harem, I could step to and pick it up, and even 

 kill it before the mother's eye, without causing her the slightest 

 concern, as far as all outward signs and manifestations should indi- 

 cate. The same indifference is also exhibited by the male to all 

 that may take place of this character outside of the boundary of his 

 seraglio ; but the moment the pups are inside the limits of his 

 harem-ground he is a jealous and a fearless protector, vigilant and 

 determined. But if the little animals are careless enough to pass 



was not much comfort to me when I asked questions as to the seals. He 

 usually answered important inquiries by crossing himself and replying, " God 

 knows." There was no appeal from this. 



