i. Tho l!c;ii(lo.l Seal {Ph. hnrbnht, Fab.). 5. The lloo.lecl Seal 
{Uijstopliora cristata, Frxlebeii). One other spccie.s, tlie Grey Seal, 
uliich has already been mentioned as formerly abundant on the 
noithern shores of our Islands, has ocenrred in the Greenland sea.s, 
but is not known to the Seal-fishers. 
ihe Common Seal (P/t. vituhna) is too well known to need a 
de.scription. It has a very Avido distribution in temperate and 
Northern Europe and America, often followin',' fish fiu- up fresh- 
AViXter rivers. Although highly prized by the Esquimaux for its 
lle.sh and skin, it is not suniciently abundant to be of much value 
to the Seal-fishers. 
Ihe Kinged or Kough Seal {Ph. hispida), knoAvn to the Green- 
landers as the Iloe-rat, is the smallest of the northern Seals. It is 
very like tho preceding species in external appearance; and not- 
Avithstanding the extremely unplea.sant smell of its llesh, Avhich 
renders it distasteful to more fastidious palate.s, it is even more 
highly A’alued by tho natives, as it is resident all the year, and 
affords them their chief winter supply of food : from its skin, also, 
are made tho softest and best of their garments. This species has 
once been captured on tho cotvst of Xorfolk ; but its true home is 
tho Arctic shores of both hemispheres, having, perhaps, a more 
northerly habitat than any other known mammal. It rarely 
ventures far from tho coast, frequenting the ice formed in tho bays 
and :^oids, therctoro does not often fall a prey to the sealers, but 
the skins are collected by tho natives and sold to the Avhalers. 
Tho Greenland, Harp, or -Saddle-back Seal (Ph. {jra-nhindica), 
is the chief object of the sealer’s pursuit both in XeAvfoundland and 
Gieenland. It is a A’cry cabundant sjxecies, highly gregarious, and 
of restless, Avandering habits. At the breeding season they make 
theii appearance upon the ice of the Greenland seas in countless 
numbers, and shortly after the mother has given birth to her single 
joung one they are attacked by the sealers, many thousands 
being annually killed. The young ones do not take to the AA-ater 
till they are about fourteen days old, at Avhich time they are verv 
fat. Ko Seal ditfei’s so much in appearance as this species, in the 
A'arious stages through Avhich it passes before assuming the adult 
A\hite coat AAdtli the characteristic band of dark broAA'n on either 
side, which, commencing on the upper part of the back between the 
shoulders, and coming doAvmvards, is continued along the sides till 
