44 R. BROWN ON THE SEALS OF GEEENLANP. 



Popular names. — Rmglad Skdl (Nilsson) ; Morunge (QEdmann 

 Yet. Akad. Handl., 1784, p. 84) ; Hringanor (Mohr, Isl. Natur- 

 liistoriske, p. 5) ; Kuma (Tunguses near Baikal) ; ? Nerpa 

 (Russ.) ; Neitsiak (young) and Neitsik (old, pronounced Nesik, 

 Greenlanders and Danes in Greenland, Neititrh., North Green- 

 land), also called the "Fjord Seal," because mostly found up 

 fjords or inlets ; Floe-rat or Flaar rat^ (of Northern English and 

 Scotch sealers). It has been so often confounded with other 

 Seals that, even on the coasts where it is not uncommon, it has 

 not received many popular names ; however, in different parts of 

 the Scandinavian seaboard it is variously called Inskdrsskdl or 

 Skdrfvhig, and Svart nolled-sdl, or simply the Nollede. This 

 is, in all probability, the Seal knOAvn in the Ilebrides as the 

 bodach or old man. 



It is doubtful if this is the Phoca ^^/wes^m of Pallas ; but I 

 cannot think that there is any serious room for doubt that it is 

 identical with Dekay's Phoca concolor. I do not think that 

 anyone now entertains any doubt about its being identical with 

 the Phoca fcetida of Fabricius (/. c. and in F. Groenl., p. 13, no. 8), 

 or the Phoca hispida described by the same author in the " Natur- 

 historiske Selskabets Skrifter," I. c, though Nilsson seemed in 

 1847 to have been doubtful (Skand. Fauna, i., p. 283). 



Descriptive Remarks, ^c. — This is the smallest of the Greenland 

 Seals; it is chiefly looked upon and taken as a curiosity by the 

 whalers, who consider it of very little commercial importance, 

 and call it the " Floe-rat," as it is always either found on floes or 

 quietly swimming about in the smooth floe-waters. 



The young is white, of the yellowish tint of the Polar Bear. 

 The hair is curly. 



Habit, Sfc. — They delight to live in retired bays in the neigh- 

 bourhood of the ice of the coasts, and seldom frequent the open 

 sea. In the Greenland and Spitzbergen seas they chiefly live 

 upon the floes in retired situations at a considerable distance from 

 the margin of tlie ice. Dr. Wallace observed them for a consider- 

 able time in the months of June and July, between N. lat. 76° 

 and 77°,t in possession of a large floe, part of which was formed 

 of bay ice, where they had their " blow-holes " (the atluk of 

 the Danes) ; his ship lay ice-bound for nearly three weeks, at 

 about three miles from this large floe, and hence he had con- 

 siderable opportunity of observing them. They passed the 

 greater portion of their time apparently asleep beside their 

 holes ; and he never saw them all at one time off" the ice, unless 

 alarmed by parties from the ship or by the Polar Bear. When 

 the ice slackened away and the sheets of open water formed 

 around the ships, the Seals used to swim near them ; and occasion- 

 ally at these times a few were killed. In the water they are 

 very cautious, swimming near the hunter, gazing on him. as if 



* I have heard the English sailors call them Dorrities, but this term is 

 also used for the Bluebacks (P. groenlandicua), 

 •(■ Parry met with it in lat. 82° N. 



