The home journal. (Winchester, Tenn.) 1858-188?, 1882-09-13
Migration Of Seals.


seals, all but two are migratWy-that is
to 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 fishermen depend for their success.
The annual southward journey Of the
restless harp-seal furnishes a vivid pic
ture of these great nigratious which are
80 prominent feature of polar history.
Keeping just ahead Of the making" OF
the ice, or final freezing up of the fords
and bays, at the approach OF winter
they lesre Greenland, and begin their
passage southwark along the coast OF
Labrador. freely entering all the CULTS
and bays. They appear first in small
detachments OF half dozen to score
or more Of individuals these are soon
followed by larger companies, until In
few days they form one continuous pro-
cession, filling the SEQ as 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 BelleiBle, some enter
the gulf, but The great body move on
ward along the eastern coast OF New
foundland, and thence outward 10 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 fields stretching from the Labrador
shore far eastward-a broad continent
of ice.
During tho 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 play.fellows close by--sll in
soft woolly dress, white, or white with a
beautiful golden luster. The New
foundlanders call them "white coats. "
In few weeks, however, they lose this
soft covering and gray, coarse fur
takes its place. In this uniform they
bear the name OF "ragged jackets )" and
it is not until two or three years later
that the full colors of the adult are
gained, with the black crescentic or
harp-lke 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 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 precisely alike, and all are
moving about more or less, the mother
never makes q mistake nor feeds any
bleating baby until she has found her
: own. IL ice happens to pack around
, them, so that they can not open holes
, nor get into the water, the whole army
, will laboriously travel by 1ounderinl
= leaps to the edge of the field and the,
show an astounding sagacity in discern
t ing the proper direction. 1t is supposed
that they can smell the water at Ions
4 distance.
2 Sometimes great storms come, break
S ing the ice foes in pieces and jamminl
/. the fragments against one another, o.
u upon the rocky headands, with tire
| mendous force. Besides the full-growI
: seals that perish in such gales, Thousand
@ of the weak babies are crushed TO deatl
e or drowned, Notwithstanding the daunt
+ less courage of their mothers, in trying
| to get their young out of danger ant
= upon the firm ice. And it is touching t,
r watcha mother seal struggling to get he
: baby to safe place, "either by tryinl
Q to swim with it between her fore hipperf
g or by driving it before her and tossin
|. it forward with her nose" The destru,
o ton caused by such gales is far les
% when they happen after the youngstel
l. have learned to swim.
l. Does it surprise you that seals, whic
y are constantly in the water, have [
II learn to swim? Well, it might Stage
J. the seals to be told that men have to b
g taught to walk. Tho fact is, bab
seal is afraid Of the water; and if som
accident, or his mothers shoulder
n ora dozen days old, he screams with frigh
o and scrambles out rs fast as he can. Tn
/ next day he tries it again, but finds him
k self very awkward and soon tired; tn,
, third day he does better, and before lonl
i he can dive and leap, turn somersault
it Cif he is q bearded seal), and vanisl
* under the ice, literally "like blu
III streak" the instant danger threatens
re But he had to learn how, to begin witt
of like any other animal. Ernest hgerSt
he IN 81 Nicholas.