2548 The Zoologist — April, 1871. 



atmosphere clear and transparent, and having that dry crispness 

 and elaslicitj- that raalies every breath send the blood dancing 

 with fresh vigour from the heart. It is on a clear night, moreover, 

 beneath the milder light of the moon, and contrasted with the 

 deeper blue of the sky, that ice scenery looks best. In daylight it 

 is too dazzling, garish and monotonous: the moon and the stars, 

 and the quivering aurora, are its fittest accompaniments. 



" March 14th. Wind north-east, with fog and snov^^ Early in 

 the morning the crew were out on the ice, and brought in 350 seals. 

 The number hauled in yesterday was 1380, making the total number 

 now on board upwards of 2000. After suffering the pelts to lie 

 open on deck for a few hours, in order to get cool, they are stowed 

 away in the hold, being laid one over the other in pairs, each pair 

 having the hair outwards. The hold is divided by stout partitions 

 into several compartments or ' pounds' to prevent too much motion 

 among the seal-skins and keep each in its place." 



Thus they continued daily with varying success, until they had 

 loaded the vessel with between 4000 and 5000 seals, when they 

 returned to St. John's. Professor Jukes further remarks, " It was 

 a very good season : one vessel in two trips brought in eleven 

 thousand seals; and the total take this year must have been con- 

 siderably upwards of five hundred thousand!" In the spring of 

 1866 I remember its being current in Newfoundland that one 

 vessel, which had made two successful trips to the ice, had brought 

 into St. John's Harbour 25,000 seals! 



When first whelped the pujjpies of this species are generally 

 called " while- coats," but I was informed that they shed this coat 

 when about a month old, after which they assume a spotted and 

 smoother coat, when they are distinguished by the name of 

 "young harps." When one year old they are called " bellamers;" 

 but both sexes of young until, I think, they are three years* 

 old, resemble the adult female, after which the male assumes the 

 "harp" mark upon his back. 



The Hooded Seal, Cyitophora crislaia, Nilsson, or Erignathus 

 barhatus, Gill, ex-Fabricius. Very common, but not so abundant 

 as either of the preceding species. It is usually taken on the ice, 

 where the females whelp apparently about the same time as the 

 harp seals, although a great many in the spring of the year are 



* Professor Jukes says two years, but either be or I must have been misinformed. 



