Translation 2783

• .146 •
.
(105 o E to 112 o ' 2), and also Rous Sea (150 0 V to 165 o E). The deh-
sity of occurrence of seals -(per square mile) on the ice, multiplied
by the area of the ice, enabled the investigators to calculate the
number of crab-eater seals in the former region as being 340,000, .
and in the latter.region as being 605,000. It issurmised tnat the .
density of occurrence of crab-eater seals on the ice is seven times
as hiEh in the Indian Ocean sector as in Ross Sea. 2.he density of
occurrence of crab-eater seals in Weddell Sea, according to tne American
investigators, reaches the highest figure -- an average of ten
animals per square nautical mile; some even densr eoncenLrations.
were recorded in that region -- up to 60 seals per square mile.
At present there is no widespread hunting of crab-eater seals.
A small number of the animals are taken solely for the needs of persons
wintering in the Antarctic or for scientific purposes. '
Leopard Seal (Hydrurea ,leptonix Blainville, 1820)
seal
The body of theee..o. leopard A
is long and slender, the thorax
is strongly deVeloped, the head is large, and 1:1E3 moutn is wide with
rows of sharp teeth (Fig. 37).
The back of adults is'dark-grey,
sometimes almost black. Tho sides and belly arc light-grey.
lips and chin are white. Irregularly-Shaed spots, black, dark-grey,
and light-grey, are scattered uver the entire body.
The
In external
aPpearance this sears colouring resembles, that of a leopard..
embryonic fur of a new-born pup is soft and fine; th' .
The
ba:ck iS darkgrey
wita a darker strie alcmg the spine, and the sides and belly
are almost white with irregularly-shaped black spots. After moulting.
the pups acquire the colouring of tne adults.
se:d
The a=a leopard is the largesL Antarctic suai. 'ohe maximum
A -
zoologicall.ength of adults is about 400. ais. The body weignt of the
females exCeeus 450 kg.
The pups are largo when born: tne zoological bodà -. 1 ,, ngth of -
a new-born pu .„).may reach 1 ,.S0 cm, a,d its weignt 5U
range includes te entire drift-ice zee 01 io Ant:arctic
and also tne.sub-Antarctio islands, includinE t
these (lleard Island, ,acquarie Island, ',01.11n Get,rc,ia
iiot nortnerly or
These seals nre fairlj co:adon on tNe sounern Ausrallan and Lew
etc.)
Zenjam coass. ùccasional speciJens travel far beyond tLe -boundary
of Le.i.i -rnnu nsd ;tre seen on CORI.; Of YouLn frica; tri) 'mist
norinLvly siNtiLu was aL
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