84 THE ZOOLOGIST. 
total of 37,922, and an average of 2917, for the season of 1883. 
Capt. David Gray, of the ‘ Eclipse,’ killed 7200, nearly the whole 
of which were young seals, as he did not take part in the old 
seal shooting later on; his brother, Capt. John Gray, of the 
‘Hope,’ killed 6100 young seals, and in the month of May also 
shot 1200 old Hooded Seals; the remaining vessels secured 
smaller numbers, the lowest being forty-six seals only. It will 
thus be seen that the vessels which went to the Greenland 
sealing made a better average (admitting the one exception 
named) this season than did the Dundee vessels which went to 
the Newfoundland fishery. The value of the 1069 tons of seal- 
oil brought home by the Scotch vessels from both Newfoundland 
and Greenland last season, at £23 per ton, represents a sum of 
£24,587 ; and that of the 74,189 skins, which may be taken at 
7s. each, a further sum of £25,966. 
I have already said that the success of the St. John’s vessels 
was very unequal, and that the average was helped up by some 
few of the vessels which were fortunate enough to get amongst 
the seals; but, assuming that it requires 15,000 seals to pay the 
very heavy expenses of one of these powerful steamers, there 
were only six out of a fleet of twenty-one which brought any 
return. Most of the others incurred a very heavy loss; the 
twelve Greenland sealers made an average of 3308, and the 
results were more evenly distributed; but with the present 
reduced value of produce in many cases the voyage must have 
proved a failure. It is not surprising, therefore, to find that the 
Newfoundland sealers closed the fishery earlier than usual, and 
that thoughtful men like Capt. D. Gray should plead for an 
extension of the Greenland close-time. As I said before, it is 
probable that a large number of the young seals which were 
produced on the Newfoundland ice this season escaped; this, 
however, was a mere accident, and rarely happens; but in 
Greenland it is not likely that any of the brood for several years 
past (with the exception of the season of 1882) have escaped. 
Although the close-time which came into operation in 1877 has 
somewhat retarded the extermination of the Greenland seals, it 
is evident that something else is required ; and Capt. Gray, in a 
circular letter which he has issued to those interested, advocates 
an extension of the close-time to April 10th, and that the Hooded 
Seals should not be shot after some day early in July, after 
