410 MR. R. BROWN ON THE SEALS OF GREENLAND. [JuilC 25, 



The voice of the Seal is a peculiar cry, somewhat midway between 

 that of a young child and the bleating of a lamb or kid. 



They are very fond of music, which was well known to the ancients ; 

 and this fondness is often taken advantage of by the hunters at the 

 present day *. I have often seen them raising their heads inquiringly 

 out of the water listening to the sea-songs of the sailors as they 

 wrought at the pumps or tracked the ship to the ice-floe ; therefore 

 it seems as if the fabled spell of Orpheus, which was powerless on 

 the Dolphin, takes effect upon the Seals. In moving from one place 

 to another they swim rapidly, sometimes on their backs and often on 

 their sides, occasionally whirling about as if to amuse themselves, 

 and sometimes leaping out of the water altogether. 



Their parental love is so great that they will sometimes remain 

 and share the fate of their hapless young. Their instinctive know- 

 ledge of danger is very keen ; they have been known to seize their 

 young with their flippers and carry them into the water with 

 them when they saw the hunter approaching ! I did not see this 

 myself, and only ask you to receive the statement for what it is 

 worth. 



Seals are very tenacious of life, and difficult to kill, unless by a 

 bullet through the brain or heart. They are so quickly /rasejf, 

 that after having been deprived of their skin they have been seen to 

 strike out in the water ; so that the sympathies of the rough hunters 

 have been so excited that they will pierce the heart several times 

 with their knives before throwing away the carcass. These move- 

 ments, however, are apparently reflex or diastaltic, as I have often 

 seen a Seal lying skinned on the deck for an hour, exposed to a 

 temperature of 12° below zero (Fahr.), and yet the muscles of the 

 loins and back retain their contractility to such an extent as to be 

 able to rotate the pelvis on the spine, on those on each side being 

 alternately irritated. 



With the exception of the Bladdernose, the other Seals in the 

 Greenland seas appear to have little or no combativeness in their 

 nature, but are a harmless, persecuted, sportive race of graceful 

 athletes making merry the solitary waters of polar lands. 



On the other hand, the male Bladdernose is, in truth, the lion of 

 the sea, dividing the empire of the polar waters with his huge ally 

 the Walrus. Instead of flying at the approach of the hunter, he will 

 quite calmly await the approach of danger, preparing for defence by 

 betaking himself to the centre of the piece of ice he is on, and blowing 

 up the air-bladder on his forehead, while he rears his head and snufts 

 the air like an enraged bull, and often gives battle successfully, 



* It is often alluded to by the ancient poets (thus, " gaudebant carmine 

 phocse," Apol. Rbod. lib. 1; Val. Flacc. lib. 5. lin. 440, &c.) ; and all ancient his- 

 torians especially note that it is " perstudiosum musicae." The well-known pas- 

 sage in Sir \V. Scott's poem also refers to this, — 



" Rude Heiskars seals through sui'ges dark 

 Will long pursue tlie minstrel's bark." 

 t A convenient whaler's word (of Dutch origin) to express the operation of 

 taking off the blul)ber (and skin). 



