The Republican. [volume] (Oakland, Md.) 1877-current, 1882-06-24
Migration Of Seals.

OF the different sorts of North-AtlantiC
seals, all but two are migratory-that is
60 say. the whole body of them move
from north TO south each autumn, and
back from south to north each spring.
Upon this important fact the great fleets
of fisherman depend for their success.
The annual southwark journey of the
restless harp-seal furnishes vivid picture
of these migraGons which are so promi-
nent q feature of polar history. Keeping
Just ahead of the ''making' of ice, or
final freezing up of the fiords and bays,
at the approach of winter they leave
Greenland and begin their passage south
ward along the coast of Labrador, freely
entering all the CULTS and bays. They
appear first in small detachments of
half dozen to a score or more of indi-
viduals; these are soon followed by larger
companies. until in few days they form
one continuous procession, filling the sea
rs far as the eye can reach. Floating
with The Arctic current, their progress is
extremely rapid, and in but one short
week the whole multitude has passed.
Arriving at the Straits of Belleisle, some
enter She gulf, but the great body move
onward along the eastern coast of New
foundland, and thence outward to the
Grand Banks. where they arrive about
Christmas. Here they rest for month,
and then they turn northward, slowly
struggling against the strong current
that aided them so much in their south
ward journey, until they reach the great
ice-fieIds stretching from the Labrador
shore far eastward-a broad continent of
ice.
During the first half of March, on
these great floating fields of ice, are born
thousands of baby seals-only one in each
family, to be sure, but with plenty of
playfellows close by-all in soft woody
dress, white, or white with a beautiful
golden luster. The Newfoundlanders
call them "white-coats.n In few
weeks. however, they lose this soft
covering, and a gray, coarse fur takes
its place. In this uniform they bear the
Name Of ''ragged-iackets'' and it is not
until two or three years later that the
full colors of the adult are gained, with
&he black crescentic or harp-like marks
ON the back which give them the name
of ''harps."
The squealing and barking at one of
these immense nurseries can be heard
for a very long distance. When the
Babies are very young, the mothers leave
them on the ice and go off in search of
food, coming back frequently to look
after the little ones; and although there
are thousands of the small, white, squeal-
ing creatures, which to you and me
would seem to be precisely alike, and
all are moving about more or less, the
another never makes mistake nor feeds
any bleating baby until she has found
her own. If ice happens topack around
them, SO that they cannot open holes,
nor get into the water, the whole army
will iaboriously travel by laundering
Heaps 10 the edge of the field; and they
show an astonishing sagacity in discern
ing the proper direction. It's supposed
that they can smell the water at long
distance.
Sometimes great storms come, break
ing the ice-foes in pieces and jamming
the fragments against one another. or
upon rocky headlands, with tremendous
force. Besides the full-grown seals that
perish in such gales, thousands of the
weak babies are crushed to death or
drowaed, notwithstanding the dauntless
courage of their mothers in trying to
get their young out of danger and upon
the firm ice. And it is touching to watch
q mother-seal struggling to get her baby
80 a safe place, "either by trying to swim
with il between her fore fiippers, or by
driving it before her and tossing it for
ward with her nose" The destruction
caused by such gales is far less when
they happen after the youngsters have
learned to swim.
Does it surprise you that seals, which
are constantly in the water, have to
learn to swime Well. it might stagger
the seals to be told that men have to be
taught to walk. The fact is, baby seal
is afraid of the water; and if some acct
dent, or his mothers shoulder pushes
him into the surf when he is ten or a
dozen days old, he screams with fright
and scrambles out as fast as he can. The
next day he tries it again. but finds him
self very awkward and soon tired; the
third day he does better, and before long
he can dive and leap, turn somersaults
Of he is bearded seai,) and vanish
under the ice. literally ''like blue
streak" the instant danger threatens.
But he had to learn how to begin with
like any other mammal-ErneSt Inger-
sol, in ST. Nicholas.