Millheim Journal. [volume] (Millheim, Pa.) 1876-1984, 1882-12-21
Hows Seals Begin Life.

H0wS seals Begin Life.
OF the different sorts Of North At.
lantic seals all but two ere migratory
that is to say, the whole body of then
move from north to south each Autumn
and back from south to north each
Spring. The annual southwark siourney
OF the restless harp-seal furnishes q vi :
vid picture of these great migrations
which are 20 prominent feature Of
polar history. Keeping just ahead oI
the making" of the ice or fnal freez-
ing mp of the fiords and bays, at the
approach of Winter they leave. Green
land, and begin their passage southwark
along the coast Of Labradore, freely
entering all the CULTS and bays. Floating
IN with theArctic current, their progress
Is extremely rapid, and in but one short
week the whole multitude has passed,
Arriving at the Straits of Bellisle, some
enter the gulf, but the great body move
onward along the eastern portion of
Newfoundland, and thence outward to
the Grand Banks, where they arrive
about Christmas. Here they rest for o
month, and then they turn northward,
slowly struggled against the strong cur
ing rent that aided them so much in their
southward journey, until they reach the
great ice-helds stretching from the Lab
rador shore far eastward-a broad con-
tinent of ice, During the first half of
March, on these great floating fields of
Ice, are born thousands of baby seals =
all in soft woolly dress, white. or white
with beautiful golden lustre. The
Newfoundlanders 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, 4"
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 ''harps." The
squealing and barking at one of these
immense nurseries can be heard tor 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 ami me
would seem to be precisely alike, and
all are moving about more or less, the
mother never makes mistake nor feeds
any bleating baby until she has found
her own If ice happens 20 pack around
them, SO that they cannot open holes,
nor get into the water. the whole army
will laboriousiY travel by founderine
leaps to the edge of the field and they
show an astonishing sagacity III discern
ing the proper direction. 1t is supposed
that they can smell the water at long
distance. Sometimes great storms come,
breaking the ice-hoes in pieces and |
Iammlng the fragments against one
another, or upon rocky headlands, with
tremendous force. And 1t is touching |
to watch mother seal struggling to |
get her baby to a safe place. "either by |
trying to swim with it between her fore
fippers, or by driving it before her and |
tossing it forward with her nose" The |
destruction caused by such gales is far |
less when they happen after the young
sters have learned to swim. A baby seal |
Is afraid of the water and if some ac-
cident, or his mothers shoulder, pushes
him into the water 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
himself very awkward and soon tired
the third day he does better, and be-
fore long he can dive and leap, turn
somerset Gf he Is bearded seaD, and
vanish under the ice literally like blue |
streak, the instant danger threatens. !