The Hickman courier. [volume] (Hickman, Ky.) 1859-current, 1882-06-30
Migration OF Seals.


OF the different sorts of North-Atlantic
seals. all but two are migratory-that is
"a saw. 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 migrations which are so promi-
nent a feature of polar history. Keeping
inst ahead of the making" of ice, or
final freezing up of the fiords and bays,
Mt 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 score or more of indi-
viduals; these are soon followed by larger
companies. until in few days they form
one continuous procession, hl1ng the sea
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 Bellelsle, some
enter the gulf, but the great body move
onward along the eastern coast OF New
foundland, and thence outward to the
: Christmas. Here they rest for a month,
and then they turn northward, slowly
csfugoling against the strong current
that aided them so much in their south
ward Journey, until they reach the great
ice-felds stretching from the Labrador
shore far eastward-a broad continent OF
ice
During the first half of March, on
these great floating fields OF iee- are oofn
tNousartis of baby seals-only one in eacf
family. TO be sure. but with plenty OF
playfellows close by-all in soft woody
dress. white, or white with beautiful
golden luster The Observation-Disclosures
call them s.white-coats. In few
weeks, however. they lose this soft
covering, and a gray, coarse fun 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-like marks
on the back which give them the name
of s'harps.n
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 lool
after the little ones; and although there
are thousands of the small, white, squeal
ing creatures, which to you and mt
would seem to be precisely alike, anC
all are moving about more or less, tn,
mother never makes mistake nor feed
any bleating baby until she has founC
her own. If ice happens topack around
them, so that they cannot open holes
nor get into the water. the whole army
will laboriously travel by doundering
leaps to 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 a long
distance.
Sometimes great storms come, break
ING the ice-floes in pieces and iamming
the fragments against one another, OF
upon rocky headlands, with tremendou:
force. Besides the full-grown seals tha
perish in such gales. thousands of the
weak babies are crushed to death OF
drowned, notwithstanding the dauntles:
courage of their mothers in trying t
get their young out of danger and upor
the firm ice. And it is touching to watcl
mother-seal struggling TO get her BABY
to safe place, .seither BY trying to swim
with it 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 wher
they happen after the youngsters have
learned TO swim.
Does it surprise you that seals. which
are constantly in the water, have tc
learn TO swim? Well. it might staggeI
the seals to be told that men have to be
taught to walk. The fact is, a 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.a bearded seal, 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. -EY7aeSt blger-
soU. IN SO. Nicholas.