52 R. BROWN ON THE SEALS OF GREENLAND. 



and arrival are well known and eagerly watched. The Aiarsoak, 

 as it is commonly called by the Eskimo, the " Svartsidede Sael- 

 hund " (Black-sided Sealhound) of the Danes, is the most common 

 Seal in all South Greenland. It is equally by this Seal that the 

 Eskimo lives, and the " Kongl. Gronlandske Handel " makes its 

 commerce. In South Greenland when the Seal generally is talked 

 of, or a good or bad year spoken about, everybody thinks of this 

 Seal ; on the other hand, in North Greenland Pagomys Joetidus 

 and Callocephalus vitulinus* are the most common. These last 

 two species are the only Seals which can be property said to have 

 their home in Greenland, affecting ice-i^^^'^s ^^^ rarely going far 

 from the coast. This is not the case with P. groenlandicus ; at 

 certain times of the year they completely leave the coast ; there- 

 fore the Seal-hunting in South Greenland is more dependent upon 

 contingencies than in North Greenland. This Seal arrives re- 

 gularly in September in companies travelling from the south to 

 north, keeping among the islands ; occasionally at this time indi- 

 viduals detach themselves from the drove and go up the inlets. 

 The Seal at this period is fatter, and continues so until the winter 

 time. In October and November is the great catching, lessening 

 in December. Very few are seen in Januaiy, and in February 

 almost none ; but regularly towards the end of May they return 

 to the south of Greenland, and in June further north. The Seal 

 is at this time in very poor condition, and remains for the most 

 part in the fjords. For the second time they disappear in July, 

 again to return regularly in September.l It is therefore seen 

 that this Seal regularly comes and goes twice a year. Every one 

 knows when it commences its migration from the south to the ; 

 north, but nobody knows where the Seal goes to when it dis- 

 appears off the coast. Between the time they leave the coast in 

 the spring and return in the summer they beget their young ; and 

 this seems to be accomplished on the pack-ice a great distance 

 from land,J viz., in the Spitzbergen sea. It is at this period that 

 the seal-ships come after them, as referred to already. Of course 

 a few stragglers occasionally do not leave the coast, and produce 

 their young close to the land ; but such exceptions do not at all 

 affect the rule laid down. It is a very familiar fact that round 

 the Spitzbergen seas in April the sealers get the best catch. At 

 this season the Seals accumulate in immense numbers on the pack 

 and can be killed en masse ; but Dr. Rink cannot believe that in 

 this time they could migrate from the west coast of Greenland to 

 Spitzbergen, the distance being too great. In support of this 

 argument, it is pointed out that in the winter the Seal goes in the 



* I was always under the impression that this Seal was rather rare ; hut, as 

 the return of its capture is not given separately from the former, it is impos- 

 sihle to say accurately. 



t This varies a little with latitude, &c. ; e.g., this Seal leaves the vicinity ol 

 Jakobshavn ice-fjord about the middle of July or beginning of August, and 

 comes back in October very fat. In August and September there are none , 

 on that part of the coast. 



X Rink, lib. cit., et O. Fabricius in Nat. Selsk. Skrift,, /. c. 



