THE HAEBOE SEAL. 55 



23. THE HARBOR SEAL. 



General history and synonymy. — The common Seal, Phoca {Phoca) viiulina Lmn6, is 

 mentioned in the earliest works on natural history, having been described and rudely figured by 

 various writers as early as the middle of the sixteenth century as well as during the seventeenth 

 century. Even down to the time of Linnd it was the only species recognized; or, more correctly, 

 all the species known were usually confounded as one species, supposed to be the same as the 

 common Seal of the European coasts. Consequently almost down to the beginning of the present 

 century the '-common Seal" was generally supposed to inhabit nearly all the seas of the globe, 

 Buffon, Pennant, Schreber, and others referring to it as an inhabitant of the Southern Hemisphere. 

 Linn6 distinguished only a single species, even in the later editions of his " Systema Naturae." As 

 'is well known, the smaller species of Seal are with difficulty distinguishable by external characters, 

 particularly during their younger stages. Pew, however, are so variable in color as the present, 

 and none has so wide a geographical range. 



Geographical distribution. — The Harbor Seal appears to have formerly been much more 

 numerous on portions of our eastern coast than it is at present.' Dr. DeKay, writing in 1842, 

 states that the "common Seal, or Sea Dog," is "now comparatively rare in our [Sew York] 

 waters," though "formerly very abundant." He adds, "A certain reef of rocks in the harbor of 

 New York is called BobMs Beef, from the numeroias seals which were accustomed to resort there ; 

 robin or robyn being the name in Dutch for Seal. At some seasons, even at the present day, they 

 are very numerous, particularly about the Execution Eocks in the Sound; but their visits appear 

 to be very capricious." He further alludes to their capture nearly every year in the Passaic Eiver, 

 in New Jersey, and states that a Seal was taken in a seine in the Ohesai)eake Bay, near Elko, 

 Maryland, in August, 1824, supposed by Dr. Mitchill, who saw it, to be of this species.^ Although 

 still occasionally appearingon the coast of the Atlantic States as far southward as North Carolina,' 

 it is of probably only accidental occurrence south of New Jersey, and rare south of Massachusetts. 



In respect to its occurrence on the New Jersey coast, Dr. C. C. Abbott, the well known 

 naturalist of Trenton, N. J., kindly writes me, in answer to my inquiries on this point, as follows: 

 "In going over my note-books, I find I have there recorded the occurrence of Seals (Phoca 

 »»teZiMa) at Trenton, N. J., as follows: December, 1861 ; January, 1864 ; December, 1866; February, 

 1870; and December, 1877. In these five instances a single specimen was killed on the ledge of 

 rocks crossing the river here and forming the rapids. In December, 1861, three were seen, and 

 two in February, 1870. A week later one was captured down the river near Bristol, Bucks County, 

 Pennsylvania. My impression is that in severe winters they are really much more abundant in 

 the Delaware Eiver than is supposed. Considering how small a chance there is of their being seen 

 when the river is choked with ice, I am disposed to believe that an occasional pair or more come 

 up the river, even as high as Trenton, the head of tide-water, and one hundred and thirty-eight 

 miles from the ocean. 



• The "Semi- Weekly Advertiser," Boston, January 10, 1872, had the following : 



"The keeper of the Bird Island light-house at Marion reijorts that one day last week he saw over 300 Seals on the 

 ice at one time. He shot one and ohtained from it two gallons of oil. In eight years that he has kept the light he 

 never saw more than three at a time until now." 



''DeKay, Jambs E. : New York Zoology, or the Fauna of New York, part i, 1842, pp. 54, 55. 



'A recent record of its capture in North Carolina is the following, the reference, I think, unquestionably relating 

 to the present species : 



"Southern kangb of the Seal. — The Wilmington, N. C, 'Star' of February 28, mentions the capture, inNew 

 River, Ouslow County, of a large female Spotted Seal, measuring about seven feet in length, and weighing 250 

 pounds. This is an interesting note. The species must probably have been the common Harbor Seal ( Phoca vihiUna). 

 The same newspaper says one was reported near Beaufort some time ago." — [W. E. D. Scott,] " Country," vol. i, No 

 21, p. 292, March IG, ICTS. 



