1892 - 93 .] Mr Eodger on Arctic Natural History Collections. 155 
seals prematurely born, from 9 to 18 inches long, bearing a fine 
white fur ; this fur is firm in the skin, while that of the Pussy or 
White-coat is usually already somewhat loose, and the Cats are 
therefore in request for making stuffed specimens. Two were 
obtained for this purpose. The White-coats, according to their 
quality, or, what is much the same thing, according to the date on 
which they are caught, are graded into several qualities ; the 
younger and finer are cured for imitation seal-skins, the older ones 
are tanned for fine qualities of leather. Yet another sort is known 
as a “ Lord ” ; this is a young Harp seal which has lost his mother, 
and lives upon the ice until he has absorbed all his own fat, and 
then takes to the water at about the usual time, which is early in 
April he is permanently dwarfed, not growing more than about 2 
feet long, and he is said never to breed, though his life is not known 
to be shortened ; he never assumes the harp upon his back, but re- 
tains the spots of the Bedlimer. The Lords are particularly ferocious. 
One young specimen was obtained for stuffing. It would be very 
interesting to obtain authentic skins or skeletons of old individuals 
of this remarkable dwarf variety, but it would be difficult to do so, 
as they remain solitary, not going with the herd, and not coming on 
the ice to breed. 
On the second voyage (26th March to 2nd May) the same seals 
were met with, and further specimens secuted. It was on this 
voyage (31st March) that the young Lord above alluded to was got ; 
at an earlier date it would have been indistinguishable from a 
White-coat. Both Harp or Greenland seals and Hooded seals are 
exceedingly numerous, though the former are of course the more so. 
The “ Esquimaux’s ” total catch on these two trips (an exceptionally 
successful season) consisted of 21,076 young Harps, 5,491 Bedlimer 
Harps, 7,499 old Harps, but only 29 young Hoods and 27 old 
Hoods. In other cases the Hoods may be caught in many hun- 
dreds ; this year the s.s. “ Esquimaux ” has only secured about 
800 seals, but these are mostly Hoods. In 1891 the total catch of 
the fleet was 343,503, and for several years past the total catch has 
stood at about the same figure, however great the fluctuation in 
success of individual ships. The total catch of the Newfoundland 
sealing fleet in 1892 was 358,984 seals. 
On this second voyage one specimen was obtained (the only one 
