40 
Kassigiak skins, when all ordinary means of persuasion have failed to 
move her.” Since enough skins are rarely available for a whole costume, 
the skins of the harbour seal are mainly used as trimmings. 
The young of the harbour seal are said to be pupped on the ice, 
fully exposed, later in the season than is the case of the ringed seal, Phoca 
hispida. 
9. Phoca hispida Schreber. ringed seal. 
Eskimo: Netsek, adults in general; Tigak, adult males; Netsiavik, young after shedd- 
ing and until one year old. 
The ringed seal is abundant in the Baffin Island seas and to the 
Eskimo is more important than any other form of life. When all else 
fails, the ringed seal is usually procurable. The meat is the most impor- 
tant source of food; the skins are used for clothing, tents, mats, light lines, 
various receptacles, dog harness, and, when more suitable material is 
lacking, kayak covers; the fat, burned in lamps, furnishes light and 
warmth; the bones are in many cases fashioned into parts of implements 
and utensils; and the intestines are used as windows in igloos. 
The species is especially abundant in Cumberland sound where, every 
spring, thousands are born in small, snow dens on the ice. Many of the 
young, while still helpless, are killed by the Eskimo. Their skins are 
white and are soft like fur or wool rather than hair. They are extensively 
used as under-garments, the hair next to the body. Thousands of the 
baby seal are annually killed and their skins sold to the traders. How 
long the species can withstand this yearly slaughter without imperilling 
the food supply of the Eskimo is a grave question. Restrictive measures 
may be necessary in the near future to ensure the continuance of a species 
of so great importance to the Eskimo. 
Ringed seals are comparatively abundant at all times in some regions 
such as Cumberland sound, but in other areas they may be scarce. In 
February and March, 1925, the ringed seal on the east coast was found 
to be everywhere and was reported to be so at all seasons. At Kekertuk- 
juak on Broughton island, the natives were securing just enough to meet 
their needs. The seals were being obtained at breathing holes (ugluts) 
located with the aid of dogs. It was noted that, although among the 
seals being killed there were many small animals, yet there appeared to be 
a larger percentage of large seals than among those killed in Cumberland 
Sound waters. One large male, measured at Kevetuk, had a length of 5 
feet 4 inches and a girth of 5 feet. Many others were seen of the same 
general size. At Padle, in Merchants bay, seals were about as numerous 
as at Broughton island, but because of the existence of a large tide-hole 
between Padloping and Durban islands, seals were more easily procured 
than to the northwest. 
Both from former accounts and hearsay, it was understood that 
ringed seals were plentiful in Nettilling lake, but this was not found to 
be so during five months of 1925 spent in the vicinity of the lake. Net- 
tilling lake was reached on May 5, but no signs of seals were observed 
until May 29 when a breathing hole was discovered near the mouth of 
Takuirbing river at the east end of the lake. On June 1 the animal fre- 
quenting this hole was harpooned. The specimen was a female, 4 feet 9 
inches long and having a girth of 2 feet 6 inches, measured back of the fore 
flippers. The hair was notably cleaner and more silvery of colour than 
