R. BROAVN ON THE SEALS OF GREENLAND. 39 



say, are, for the most part, female Seals. These sentinels, how- 

 ever, conduct themselves in the same manner as I have described 

 the individual Seal we had on shipboard. I have been assured 

 by old seal -hunters that Seals can sleep on their back while float- 

 ing in the sea ; and this statement corroborates that of Fabricius 

 and other naturalists. In 1861, in Davis's Strait, the steamer 

 on which I was aboard of ran against a Seal sleeping in this 

 manner. The blow-holes, or escape-holes, of the Seals are evi- 

 dently formed by them when the ice is making, the animal always 

 rising to breathe again at the same place, thus preventing the 

 coagulation of the ice, or breaking it as soon as formed. It has 

 been supposed that the Seal could make such an opening by force 

 or by keeping its warm nose for a time at one place for the 

 purpose of melting the ice; but these conjectures are not founded 

 on truth, the following reasons being my grounds for that state- 

 ment : — It could not break the ice by force, and, moreover, it 

 could not even dare to run its nose against such an obstacle; for 

 the nose of the Seal is a tender point ; this was known even to 

 the ancients, and is referred to by Oppian.* This is taken 

 advantage of by the sealers, who secure as many as possible when 

 they are hastening to the water from the ice, by striking them ou 

 the nose, and then killing them at their leisure when the others 

 have escaped. Even suppose the muzzle capable of melting the 

 ice (which it certainly is not), where could the animal rise to 

 breathe during the process ? The preceding explanation of the 

 formation of the breathing or ^/oz^-holes was derived from inde- 

 pendent observation of the habits of the Seal, but is identical with 

 that given me by the natives of the Arctic regions. It is at such 

 holes that the Eskimo and the Bear watch patiently for their prey. 



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.f 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, some- 

 times ou their backs and often on their sides, occasionally whirl- 

 ing about as if to amuse themselves, and sometimes leaping out of 

 the water altogether. 



* " Non hami penetrant phocas, saevique tridentes 



In caput incutiunt, et circum terapora pulsant. 

 Nam subito pereunt capitis per vulnera morte." 

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

 phocse," Apol. Rhod., lib. 1 ; Val. Elacc, lib. 5, lin. 440, &c.) ; and all 

 ancient historians especially note that the Seal is " perstudiosa musicae." The 

 well-known passage in Sir Walter Scott's " Lord of the Isles " (p. 140) alse 

 refers to this, — 



" Rude Heiskars seals through surges dark 

 Will long pursue the minstrel's bark." 



