8874 Sucklers. 
sets through Hudson’s Bay, and sweeps the coast of Labrador in a south-east direction ; 
running at all seasons at the rate of several knots an hour, hurling with it, during the 
winter and spring, quantities of ponderous field-ice, together with numerous icebergs 
of various size, and frequently of most grotesque shapes. By it the seals continue 
their passage steadily on in one unbroken course until the island of Belleisle presents 
an obstacle—situated in the entrance of the Straits of Belleisle, into which a branch 
of the current sets, carrying with it a portion of the force towards the Gulf of St. Law- 
rence. The main body continue onward until they reach the Gulf Stream, on the 
banks of Newfoundland. Here they arrive about the end of December or early in 
January, and halt fora time in the more still and warmer waters of that locality, 
resting until the time for bringing forth their young arrives; nor is the rest of long 
duration. About the end of January it becomes necessary to turn northward. During 
the southerly migration no ice encumbered the way—all circumstances were favour- 
able; hut the now-projected movement is undertaken under many impediments: the 
animals, heavy with young, must stem the strong current; the bed on which their snow- 
white cubs are to be laid is solid ice. Onward they struggle until they fall in with 
the immense continent of this material—one part of which is formed on the shores, 
and a wuceh larger portion hurried forward by the polar stream. This now covers the 
identical sea along which they so recently passed, and is to be their home until the 
duties of the nursery are performed, and their sleek progeny are strong enough to 
accompany the herd. The detachment which we left on their way up the Straits of 
Belleisle met their own difficulties: the fishermen waylay them here most assiduously 
—net after net awaits the toiling emigrants, which are turned to good purpose. 
Several thousands are taken at the many stations planted on all parts of the shore from 
Cape Charles to the Gulf of St. Lawrence. In the Gulf many of them pass the winter 
and bring forth on the ice formed near the shores of this sea ; a few of the young are 
taken by the inhabitants of the Magdalene and other islands; but a considerable 
section of the original stock circumnavigate Newfoundland, and join the great body on 
the banks. Those which winter in the Gulf of St. Lawrence quit their quarters in that 
sea about the end of June, and on their way down the Straits of Belleisle reward the 
watchful fishermen with a few additional thousands of their much-prized carcases. 
These are now accompanied by their young, all but as round and bulky as their parents. 
After clearing the Straits little more is seen of them. It is believed that, in order to 
avoid the adverse current, they make their passage north to their old summer haunts 
at a much greater distance from the land.—J. C. Steavenson, in the ‘ Field’ of Novem- 
ber 28, 1863. 
Porpoises at the Zoological Gardens.—Two unsuccessful attempts have been made 
to introduce living porpoises at the Zoological Gardens. There are a few leading con- 
ditions of porpoise life that seem to have been utterly disregarded : first, seeing,—and 
to conquer this propensity the eyes of the poor creatures had been poked out, not I 
believe by Zvological authority, but by the captors ; secondly, residence in a medium 
of salt water ; this was denied them, and they were supplied only with fresh. Now 
we all know that to plunge a marine animal in fresh water is the most certain mode 
of killing it, and to gouge out its eyes is the most certain way to starveit. I only saw 
one of these creatures for about an hour before it died. It appeared to be rolling over 
and over in agony.— Edward Newman. 
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