THE HARHOU SKA I,. .V, 



23. THE HARBOR SEAL. 



(iKNKUAl. HISTORY AND SYNONYMY. Till' (-(minion Seal. 1'hoca (/'/) rillllina Linnc, is 

 mentioned ill the earliest works on natural history, having been described and rudely figured by 

 various writers as early as the middle of the sixteenth century as well as during the seventeenth 

 century. Kveu down to the time of Linne* it was the only species recognized; or, more correctly, 

 all the species known were usually confounded as one species, supposed to l>c the same as the 

 common Seal of the European cosusts. Consequently almost down to the beginning of the present 

 century the common Seal" was generally supposed to inhabit nearly all the seas of the globe, 

 Bnft'on, Pennant, Schreber, and others referring to it as an inhabitant of the Southern Hemisphere. 

 Liiine distinguished only a single species, even in the later editions of his "Systema Natnne." As 

 is well known, the smaller species of Seal arc, with difficulty distinguishable by external characters, 

 particularly during their younger stages. Few, however, arc so variable in color as the present, 

 and none has so wide a geographical range. 



<ii:o<;i:ApniCAi, DISTRIBUTION. The Harbor Seal appears to have formerly l>ecn much mom 

 numerous on portions of our eastern coast than it is at present. 1 Dr. DeKay, writing in 1842, 

 states that the "common Seal, or Sea Dog," is "now comparatively rare in our [New York] 

 waters," though "formerly very abundant." He adds, "A certain reef of rocks in the harbor of 

 New York is called Kobin^ Reef, from the numerous seals which were accustomed to resort there; 

 roliiii or i-obi/ii being the name in Dutch for Seal. At some seasons, even at the present day, they 

 are very numerous, particularly about the Execution Rocks in the Sound; but their visits appear 

 to be very capricious." He further alludes to their capture nearly every year in the Passaic River, 

 in New Jersey, and states that a Seal was taken in a seine in the Chesapeake Bay, near Elko, 

 Maryland, in August, 1824, supposed by Dr. Mitchill, who saw it, to be of this species. 2 Although 

 still occasionally appearingon the coast of the Atlantic States as far southward as North Carolina.' 

 it is of probably only accidental occurrence south of New Jersey, and rare south of Massachusetts. 



In respect to its occurrence on the New Jersey coast, Dr. C. C. Abbott, the well known 

 naturalist of Trenton, N. J., kindly writes me, in answer to my inquiries on this point, as follows: 

 "In going <>vcr my note-books, I find I bave there recorded the occurrence of Seals (1'lwi-n 

 ritulina) at Trenton, N. J., as follows : December, 1861 ; January, 1864; December, 1806; February. 

 1870; and December, 1877. In these five instances a single specimen was killed on the ledge of 

 rocks crossing the river here and forming the rapids. In December, 1861, three were seen, and 

 two in February, 1870. A week later one was captured down the river near Bristol, Bucks County, 

 Pennsylvania. My impression is that in severe winters they are really much more abundant in 

 the Delaware River than is supposed. Considering how small a chance there is of their being seen 

 when the river is choked with ice, I am disposed to believe that an occasional pair or more come 

 up the river, even as high as Trenton, the head of tide-water, and one hundred and thirty-eight 

 miles from the ocean. 



' The "Semi- Weekly Advertiser," Boston, January 10, 1872, had the following: 



"The keeper of tin- Bird Island light-house at Marion reports that one day last week he saw over 300 Seals on the 



ice atone time. He .shot and obtained from it two gallons of oil. In eight years that In- has kept the light he 



never saw more than throe at a time until now." 



'DKKAY, JAMES E. : New York Zoology, or the Fauna of New York, part i, 1842, pp. 54, .Vi. 



A recent ree.>nl >( its capture in North Carolina is the following, the reference, I think, unquestionably relating 

 to the present s|M>cio: 



"SOUTIHOW RAXOK OK THIS SEAU The Wilmington, N. C., 'Star' of February **, mentions the rapt IIP-, in 

 River. On-dow County, of a large female Spotted Seal, measuring about wv.-n feel in length, and weighing i 

 pounds. This is an interesting note. The species must probalily have l-en the common Harbor Seal < l'h,^,i <ilnlii,a). 

 The same newspaper says one was retried nonr Beaufort some time ago." [\V. K. I). SCOTT,] " Country," vl 

 Jl, p. '-IK;, March 111, I 



