54 H. BROWN ON THE SEALS OF GREENLAND. 



Seal {Halichmrus gryphus). The Tapvaist of the western islands 

 of Scotland appears also to belong to that species, H. gryphus 

 being a common Seal among the Hebrides. 



Descriptive Remarks^ ^c- — Next to the Walrus this is the largest 

 species of the order found in the northern seas. Perhaps, however, 

 H. gryphus may occasionally be found to equal it in size. 



Geographical Distribution, Sfc. — This species has been so often 

 confounded with the Grey Seal (ff. gryphus) and the Saddleback 

 (P. grcenlandicus) in different stages and coats, that it is really 

 very difficult to arrive at anything like a true knowledge of its 

 distribution. At the end of the notice of this species I shall 

 have something to say regarding the probability of its identity 

 with the Ground- Seal of the English Seal-hunters of the Spitz- 

 bergen sea. On the coast of Danish Greenland it is principally 

 caught in the district of Julianshaab a little time before the 

 Klapmyds. It is not, however, confined to South Greenland, but 

 is found at the very head of Baffin's Bay, and up the sounds of 

 Lancaster, Eclipse, &c. branching off from the latter sea. The 

 Seals seen by the earlier navigators being nearly always referred 

 in their accounts to either Fhoca vitulina or P. grcenlandicus, 

 it is at present almost impossible to trace its western range ; 

 it is, however, much rarer in the north than in the south of 

 Davis's Strait. Accordingly the natives of the former region are 

 obliged to buy the skin from the natives of the more south of 

 settlements, as it is of the utmost value to them. This Seal comes 

 with the pack-ice round Cape Farewell, and is only found on the 

 coast in the spring. Unlike the other Seals, it has no atluk, but 

 depends on broken places in the ice ; it is generally found among 

 loose broken ice and breaking-up floes. 



Economic Value, S^c. — This animal is of great importance to the 

 Eskimo ; they cut the skin into long strips for harpoon lines — a sine 

 qua non of every kayak. Out of every hide can be got four or 

 five lines, and these are cut in a circular form off the animal before 

 it is skinned ; after this the lines are dried. These allunaks are 

 very strong, and are applied to all sorts of purposes in Greenland 

 travelling. The blubber is more delicate in taste than any other, 

 and is accordingly more prized as a culinary dainty, when such 

 can be afforded. There are only from 400 to 600 caught annually 

 {Rink^ I. c). 



For long I was puzzled as to what was the " Ground Seal " of 

 the Spitzbergen sealers, but skulls brought me from Spitzbergen 

 in 1 869 by Mr. Chas. Edward Smith, surgeon of Mr. Lamont's 

 Expedition, leave no doubt as to their being Phoca barbata.'^ 



(5.) Halichcerus gryphus, 0. Fab. 



Phoca gryphus (den krumsnudede ssel), O. Fab. 



Halichoerus griseus^ Nilss. 



Halichcerus gryphus, Nilss. 



Phoca gryphus, Licht. 



Phoca halichcerus, Thienem. 



Phoca thienemanni, Less, (young). 



Phoca scopulicola, Thienem. (young, /ide Gray). 



