No. 382.] ANIMALS OF NORTHWESTERN ALASKA. 725 
enough to beara man. In this young ice the seals make per- 
fectly round holes about the size of a quarter of a dollar, and 
return to these holes every now and then to take breath. 
When young ice formed, the hunters used to watch at these 
breathing, holes, standing upon a peculiar little three-legged 
stool, and using a harpoon with a slender shaft suitable for 
thrusting through the hole to secure the seal when shot. The 
fields of young ice last but a few days at a time before they are 
broken up by the movements of the pack,.and the seals do not 
often have a chance to make regular breathing holes, but 
depend for fresh air on the irregular crevices among the cracked 
and splintered ice hummocks. When a hunter discovered such 
a crevice, he used to set his nets all round it under the ice, and 
frequently kept them there all winter, visiting them every few 
ays. Many seals were taken in this way. But by far the 
greatest number of seals was taken in the night netting, which 
began with the departure of the sun, and could only be carried 
on successfully on the very darkest nights. The natives told 
us that even a bright aurora interferes with their success. 
When a lead of open water appeared, nearly all the men of the 
village would resort to it with their nets, which they set wher- 
ever they found the ice tolerably level and not too thick for 
about 100 yards back from the lead. These nets are of stout 
sealskin thong about 15 feet long by 10 deep, and are set under 
the ice in such a way that they hang down, like a curtain, and 
can be drawn up through a hole large enough to allow the pas- 
sage of a seal’s body. A number of nets were often set close 
together. When the night grew dark enough, the hunters 
would begin to rattle on the ice with their ice picks, whistle, or 
make some other gentle and continuous noise, which soon excited 
the curiosity of the seals that were swimming about in the open 
lead, until they would finally begin to dive under the ice and 
swim towards the sound, which of course led them directly into 
the nets. On favorable nights a great many seals were taken 
in this way. For instance, on the night of Dec. 2, 1882, 
the netters from the Cape Smyth village alone took at least 100 
seals. As at this season the weather is often excessively cold, 
the dead. seals freeze stiff very soon. If sufficient snow had 
