126 MAMMALS OF PENNSYLVANIA AND NEW JERSEY, 



America normally to the Magdalen Islands, fortuitously to New England and 

 New Jersey. 



Distribution in Fa. and N. J. — The only record of the occurrence of this 

 seal in our limits rests solely on the following mention made by Dr. J. A. 

 Allen in his Monograph, above cited', page 640 : " I have, however, recently 

 been informed by Dr. C. C. Abbott, of New Jersey, that a seal, described to 

 him as being about 6 feet long, white, with a broad black band along each 

 side of the back, was taken near Trenton in that state during the winter of 

 1878-79. This description can of course refer to no other species than 

 Phoca groenlandica, and as it comes from a wholly trustworthy source it 

 seems to substantiate the occasional occurrence of this species as far south as 

 New Jersey." 



I have written Dr. Abbott for further particulars regarding this record, but 

 he answers that he finds no reference to it in his note books, and that his 

 memory does not serve him reliably enough at this late date to add anything 

 to the data given by Dr. Allen. — Rhoads, 1902. 



Habits, etc. — This species forms the bulk of the sealing industry in the east 

 Atlantic. It is very numerous and gregarious, breeding off the coast of New- 

 foundland. It is unsuspicious and easily killed. It never is found numerous 

 except in the vicinity of ice. 



Description of species. — The Harp seal is so named from its distinctive 

 color markings, the male having a black face and a harp-shaped, irregular 

 band of black almost encircling the back, crossing below the neck and nearly 

 meeting at the rump. This is in contrast to a nearly white background. The 

 female is but slightly mottled with black. Length, 5 to 5J^ feet. 



Genus Cystophora Nilsson, Skandinav. Fauna, vol. i, p. 382. 

 Hooded Seal; Bladdemose. Cystophora cristata (Erxleben). 



1777. Phoca cristata Erxleben, Systema Regni Animal., vol. i, p. 590. 



1841. ■ Cystophora cristata Nilsson, Wiegmann's Archiv. f Naturges., vol. 8, 

 bd. I, p. 326. 



Type locality. — Southern Greenland and Newfoundland. 



Faunal distribution. — "Restricted to colder parts of the North Atlantic 

 and to portions of the Arctic Sea." 



Distribution in Pa. and N. J. — Occasional straggler on the N. J. coast ; 

 recorded two or three times from as far south as Chesapeake Bay in Maryland. 



Record in N. J. — The following is the only record of this species in our 

 limits. I quote from the American Naturalist of Nov., 1883, pp. 1191, 1192 : 

 " Mammals. — Mr. A. E. Brown writes to Forest and Stream concerning the 

 capture of the hooded seal near Spring lake. New Jersey, which was forwarded 

 to the Zoological Garden at Philadelphia : ' It was in poor condition when 



