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Show 1868.] MR. R. BROWN ON THE SEALS OF GREENLAND. 411 making the clubs fly from the hands of his assailants, with his flippers, his head being protected as with a helmet by the air-bladder. He will then in turn act on the offensive, and put his opponents to flight, pursuing them with a shuffling serpent-like motion over the ice, the result often proving somewhat dangerous to the panic-stricken hunter if the boat has left that piece of ice, as the Seal will use his tusks rather ferociously when thus enraged. However, he is not inclined to give battle unless provoked, and looks a dull stupid-looking sort of epicurean as he lolls on the surface of the ice and gazes about with his large black eyes, having an apparently meaningless stare. The " Ground-Seal" and " the Floe-Rat" (Pagomys hispidus) in the far north are quite harmless and inoffensive; they apparently delight to swim about in the calm smooth floe-waters, or bask asleep in the sunshine on the surface of the ice. Their greatest enemy is the Polar Bear, who is continually on the alert to take them by surprise, forming, as they do, his chief prey. Nearly all of the Seals live on the same description of food, varying this at different times of tbe year and according to the relative abundance or otherwise of that article in different portions of the Arctic seas. The great staple of food, however, consists of various species of Crustacea which swarm in the northern seas. During the sealing-season in the Spitzbergen sea I have invariably taken out of their stomachs various species of Gammarvs (G. sabini, Leach, 67. loricatus, Sab., G. pinguis, Kr., 67. dentatus, Kr., 67. mutatus, Lilljeb., &c), collectively known to the whalers under the name of " Mountebank Shrimps," deriving the name from their peculiar agility in the water. This "seals' food" is found more plentiful in some latitudes than in others, but in all parts of the Greenland sea from Iceland to Spitzbergen; I have seen the sea at some places literally swarming with them. Again, in the summer in Davis's Strait I have found in their stomach remains of whatever species of small fish happened to be just then abundant on the coast, such as the Mal-lotus arcticus, Salmo (various species), &c. I have even known them to draw down small birds swimming on the surface ; but their chief food is Crustacea and fish. 4. Notes on the Species of Pinnipedia. (1) CALLOCEPHALUS VITULINUS (Linn.), F. Cuv. Phoca vitulina, Linn. Phoca communis, Linn. (Mus. Ad. Frid. i. 5). Phoca canina, Pall, (ad partem). Phoca variegata, Nilss. Phoca linneei, Less. Phoca littorea, Thienem. Popular names.-Sea-dog, Sea-calf, Sea-cat (English sailors and fishermen generally); Selkie, Selach, and Tangfish (north of Scotland); Rawn (western islands of Scotland); Spraklig Skill (Swedish); in other parts of Scandinavia, and according to age & c , it is variously |