MAMMALS. 



261 



Phooa fasciata Zimmermann. Eibbou Seal (Esk. Kds-ghii-lil;). 



Biographical notes. — Tliis is the handsomest autl least kuown of the Alaskan seals. They are 

 found commonly at only a few points on the coast of Bering Sea. Their southern limit ou the 

 mainland coast is I'eached about the rocky shores of Niuievak Island and Cape Vancourer. Stray 

 individuals maj' occur about the mouth of the Kuskoquim liiver, but if so they are very rare. 

 About Cape Rumiantzofif, or Eomanzoff, just .south of the Yukon mouth, they are rather common 

 in winter, and some are said to iTmain there all suuimor. x\.t the Yukon mouth and about the 

 shores of Norton Sound they are extremely rare, but they sometimes occur ofl' the rocky head- 

 lands when the ice breaks \\\} in spring, about the last of May or first of June. About the shore 

 and islands of Bering Straits they are rather coumioii in s]>riug and fall, going and coming with 

 the pack-ice. 



The Eskimo living in the straits and along the adjacent coast make many of their skins into 

 clothes-bags, which are prized on account of the ornamental character of the coloring. The largest 

 specimens must attain a length of about C feet. 



During the cruise of the Corwin, in the summer of 1S81, we saw these seals repeatedly 

 upon the border of the ice-pack along the northern coast of Siberia and near Wraugel and Herald 

 Islands. They were rather common in the vicinity of the two last named places and were usually 

 found basking singly upon a fragment of ice in the loose drift before we reached the main pack. 



The contrasting dark chestnut-brown and light markings render them very conspicuous objects, 

 and they are easily recognized at a long distance when lying upon the ice. They were not shy, 

 and several times the steamer came within a hundred yards before they noticed it. They would 

 then raise their heads and altera deliberate stare tumble into the water, and were seen for some 

 time swimming with the head well raised and intently watching the vessel. 



We did not see them near Point Barrow, but l\Ir. ^lurdoch notes them as stragglers there, 

 and two were killed during his stay at that point. 



The Eskimo prize the skin of this species very highly, and the people of Bering Straits carry 

 them along the coast in every direction to barter them with the ]ieople whose territory does not 

 yield them. 



The skins .are tanned with the hair ou and are entire, except for a slit in the abdomen. This 

 slit is provided with eyelet holes for lacing it np, and thus is improvised into what is considered a 

 fashionable traveling bag among the P]skimo. These bags are used for storing extra clothing, 

 furs, or other valuable articles likely to be lost or injured liy lying about in the house or while 

 traveling. 



On the Siberian coast .south of Bering Straits this species ranges far to the southward, even 

 reaching the Kurile Islands. 



Scammon saj'S that the natives of the Aleutian Islands recognized this species as sometimes 

 occurring there, but I never heard of an instance of its being taken either there or at the Fur Seal 

 Islands, and it must be extremely rare, if it occurs there at all. This species is more u)igratory 

 than any of the other hair seals of Bering Sea. They keep with the ice-pack to a great extent, and 

 the Eskimo living in Bering Straits informed me that they were common there only in fall and 

 spring. In fall they come down from the north with the ice-pack and pass to the southward, and 

 in spring, as the pack retreats through the straits to the north, it is accompanied l)y these seals. 

 The examples seeu by us iu the pack during the summer of 1881 were all males. 



The females are very much lighter colored than the males and the "ribbon'' chestnut markings 

 of the male are but faintly outlined on the female. From the fact tliat this species ranges so 

 much farther south on the coast of Siberia than it does on the opposite American coast, and that 



