50 THE ZOOLOGIST. 



nearly with the southern distribution of Balana mysticetus, and as 

 the vanguard of the latter retreats to the northward the vanguard 

 of B. sibbaldii advances to occupy the ground left vacant. 



Having now reached the ice, it remained for us to proceed 

 northwards towards the whaling ground ; but as some time yet 

 remained before we could expect to see whales, we hoped to pick 

 up a few old Saddle Seals, Phoca groenlandica, on our way north, 

 and for tliis purpose the examination of each successive point of 

 ice was commenced. By way of explanation, I may state that in 

 the month of March, the Saddle Seals, male and female, come 

 from the northward and southward, along the ice-edge, and, 

 owing apparently to the formation of the latter, they converge 

 towards a great point of ice, which in a normal season lies along 

 the 73rd parallel of latitude, and runs out beyond the meridian of 

 Greenwich. Here meeting, the united body of seals direct their 

 course inwards, until ice is found suitable for their purpose 

 They now take the ice, and soon afterwards the young seals 

 are born. On the 3rd of April, at what might be called a 

 critical period in the history of the seal, the close-time ends, the 

 sealers are at liberty to kill them, and before the creatures 

 are many days old the whole " pack " is generally slaughtered 

 before their mother's eyes. And what for nearly two hundred 

 years has proved a sure and certain source of annual wealth, the 

 support of an extensive industry, is — unless legislation comes 

 speedily to its rescue — doomed to almost complete annihilation, 

 by the greedy, short-sightedness of man. Towards the end of 

 April the few young Saddle Seals which have escaped this waste- 

 ful destruction, having cast their snow-white fur, and assumed 

 instead a coat of steel-blue hair, marked over with small dark 

 spots, are now able to provide for themselves. Abandoned to 

 their own resources, the " spots " as they are called, betake 

 themselves towards the sea, and dispersing along the ice-edge are 

 seen, alas ! too infrequently ! lying on the small outlying pieces 

 of ice near the pack edge, enjoying the bright sunshine, and the 

 warmth of the summer air. Before the young seals have taken 

 to the water, the males commence seeking the females ; pairing 

 having taken place, all the old Saddle Seals abandon tlie locality, 

 and, dividing into droves or herds, disperse both north and 

 south along the ice edge. Selecting the outlying " streams " and 

 '• points," the old seals again take tbe ice, and the hunting of 



