]\IAM:\IALS of ^^OETHEEX C ax ad a ii29 



Habboue Seal — Phoca vitulina Linnaeus. 



This is probably the most generally distributed and 

 abundant of all the northern species of hair seals. I believe 

 it is also the most numerous in the coast seas of Arctic 

 America. The Anderson and Mackenzie River Eskimos 

 kill a great many annually. It is a very valuable and useful 

 animal for them ; its skin is necessary for making boots and 

 hTinting canoes and other purposes. Its dark and rather 

 unsightly flesh and extracted oil are among the chief and 

 most esteemed articles in their yearly diet; the latter is also 

 used in their stone lamps for light, heat, and cooking their 

 food. We noticed some seals on the ice, basking in the sun, 

 on each one of our four summer trips (1862 to 1865) to 

 Franklin Bay. The Eskimos with us kiUed a few with 

 their bows and arrows. Our Indian assistants did not seem 

 to relish the rather disagreeable-looking flesh, but the Eskimos 

 partook thereof with avidity. Doctor Armstrong, of the 

 Investigator, observed many and secured several examples 

 of this species in the sea waters of Baring Land. It has also 

 been met vsdth by other Arctic explorers. Sir Leopold Mc- 

 Clintock's party secured 17 examples of the smaller seals 

 at Port Kennedy. During their eight months' drift in the 

 pack ice, they kiUed 73 seals, 2 polar bears, 38 dovekies, and 

 the blue fox already referred to. On March 2, 1858, they 

 shot 4 fat seals and several dovekies ; the largest seal weighed 

 170 pounds and the smallest 150 poimds. They were males 

 of the species P. hispida. The flesh of this species is very 

 disagreeable, a garlic-like taint so strongly permeating the 

 whole animal that even Eskimos are nearly overpowered 

 thereby, but the females are at all times free from fetor. A 

 week later two more seals were captured. The flesh being 

 free from taint, the Eskimos had fried liver and steaks for 

 breakfast, the latter preferred. They had been washed in 

 two or three waters to get rid of the blubber. The flesh was 

 very dark and very tender. 



