On the PhocidaB of the Greenland Seas. 395 



venting the congelation into ice, or breaking it as soon as 

 formed. It is impossible for the seal to pierce the ice after 

 being formed to any thickness, as has been theoretically 

 alleged, by keeping its warm (?) nose to the ice, thus melting 

 out the hole. Unfortunately for this hypothesis, the nose 

 is quite cold ; but even allowing the temperature of the 

 muzzle capable of performing this feat, where could the 

 animal rise to breathe during the process ? It would not 

 venture to break through by force, as the nose is proverbi- 

 ally the seal's mortal point. Their fondness for music is 

 taken advantage of by the hunters, to the destruction of 

 the listeners. Many wonderful stories are told regarding 

 the affection which they bear to their young, and, with the 

 exception of the " Bladdernose," they appear to have little 

 or no combativeness in their nature. In the Greenland sea, 

 the " Mountebank shrimp," Gamarus arcticas, forms the 

 staple food of the seals. 



The number of seals taken yearly by the British and 

 Continental ships (principally Scotch, Norse, Dutch, and 

 German), in the Greenland seas, when they get among them, 

 will average upwards of 200,000, the great bulk of which 

 are young " Saddlebacks." When they have arrived at their 

 maximum quality, 80 will yield a ton of oil ; otherwise the 

 general average is 100 to the ton. In 1859, good oil sold at 

 about L.33 per ton ; add to this the value of 100 skins at 

 5s. each, and the whole will amount to L.58 sterling. 



From this simple calculation, a very good estimate may 

 be formed of the commercial value of the Greenland seal 

 fishery ; for, supposing 2000 tons of oil to be about the 

 annual produce, and assuming L.58 as the value per ton, 

 inclusive of the skins, the whole produce of the fishery will 

 amount yearly to L.116,000 sterling. 



There seems little doubt, notwithstanding the additional 

 protection which the northern seals receive from the ice, 

 that, before many years have elapsed, the seal fisheries in 

 Greenland must share the fate of those in other parts of the 

 world, and become extinct as a source of commercial value. 



The sealing fleet meets about the end of February in 



