Translation 2783

I
•..••• 14 3
nur.tbers are not high. âot!te 'foreii;n investigators suggest that an,
ap.pro--Utsate figure for the stocks of these seals t:liE^ht be between a
tIlin].1'tllll ^
of 200,000 and. a maximum of 500,000. In 196'1 and 1960 Australian
investigators made counts of the seals on pack-ice and fast
ice in the western part of i,oss Sea, in the re,ior! fro:.i ricllurdo Sound
to Cape Adare, using. al, ice-breaker and a helicopter. Tire majority
of the ;;ea1s wore counted on fcast ice, and smaller nüulbE:rs on pack-ice.
.l.-'ma tltoc;e counts the total number of the seals in 1:ilaL part of nous
Sea was estimated at about 50,000.
At present theie is no widespread huntinL of '.lecldell's seals
or of other species of Antarctic seals. The at_itnals are taken only
by research or6anizatiorls eollc>>ctint; scientific ma-rerial.
Crab-eater Seal
(Lobodon carcinopha[.-,us Hombron and Jacquinot, 1642"
The colour of this seal varies according to the season of the
year.
In spring the adults a:-ce covered with silvery-white hair.,
which causes thetu : ometilttes to be called "white seals". That Colour
is temporary.
Luring the rnoulting period the hair colour changes,
dari:cninand becorning gre,yis'riwbroorn; there are rin;;--l,i.lcP spots of
various shapes on the sides and shoulclers; tue lower part of the body
has a pale-yellow tinge (Fig." 36). That colour persis-us throughout
the su:i.tor and autumn months, but gradually fad,:^s, especially in'
w:i.riter, and by the seals have again acquired c' ûeau-L:i.ful sil--
very colour, 'l'hc: embryonic hair of neti•r--bôrn pups is soft, fluffy;
and greyish-brown.
After moulting the pups assume adu11; colouring.
^1^ \^`,'`^: .. ' ~ 4 `^ `^^,+^c` ^ ^•^ F a
.._ ?
Pnc. 8. Tloacnb•Ktmü(,cl,
_, -. .- .
l'1.^'• j^.,. ou i;el' £;eF.t.l.
lle iaaxi:llll:a zoo lo6;1cLL1 le11^.;t11 Of the ':L.lll Lt3 t:YOCi:d s i^ ^U
CITI.
he body iloiC-.,1t of Ll.e aaA.t:, is il,) to 230 ;;.;, ai.d Llle t•teif,•!!t of -t:l,e
ililie with b7.ul-ber :!;; to ^>0 k^^•. :.uw--c;orit lnlp:-, are .1.,G c.,l in len^;th
dailt t/6'l,:;ll 11'O.1 .i^li
to 2^) ku.