The Habits of Ice-Seals

Abstract

Listen

Translate article

THERE are four species of earless, or true seals inhabiting the boreal part of the North Atlantic and Arctic Oceans which may well be designated ice-seals, since they dwell for a considerable portion of the year either on the solid pack-ice or on ice-floes. These species are the Greenland or harp-seal (Phoca grænlandica), often termed, on account of the conspicuous black markings on the yellowish-white ground-colour of the back, the saddle-back; the ringed seal (P. hispida); the large bearded seal, or square-flipper (P. barbata); and the crested, or hooded seal (Cystopkora cristata), the males of which carry the peculiar dilatable sac on the nose from which the species derives its names. The first three of these are closely allied forms, but it is not a little remarkable that whenever the young of the first and second are born in a uniform yellowish-white coat, those of the third make their appearance in the world in a dark pélage; the white coat being not improbably shed in utero. It is commonly believed that the young of the fourth species are also white-coated, as are certainly those of the more southern grey seal (Halichærus grypus). If a white coat serves as a protection to the new-born “pup” on the ice, it is difficult to see why this type of coloration should have been departed from in the case of one species. But the whole subject is one of great difficulty, as the white-coated young of the grey seal may often be seen in the Hebrides reposing on black rocks. All the four species in question agree in the circumstance that the young are produced during their sojourn on the ice; but in other respects very considerable differences are displayed in regard to habits.