496 Capt. CARMICHAEL’S Description of 
side of the island, two of our party were tempted to get astride 
upon the back of one of them, and rode him fairly into the water. 
The Falkland Island Seal (Phoca Australis). This species grows 
to the length of five or six feet. The fur on the back is dark- : 
brown, intermixed with long hairs tipped with white. The throat 
and breast are cream-coloured, the belly rufous. The vibrissæ of 
the male are white, very long, some of them twelve inches, and 
hang down over its breast. The fore-feet are placed near the 
centre of the body, which enables it to sit erect, in an attitude 
much resembling that of a penguin. "Though these animals herd 
occasionally with the sea-lions, they are much more shy in their 
nature, and speedily forsake those parts of the island where they 
are liable to intrusion. They bark like a dog, and are of a bold, 
ferocious disposition. > MEE: | 
The wild hogs secrete themselves in the deepest recesses of the 
wood, where it is impossible to pursue them. "Their ordinary suste- 
nance is from the roots of the wild celery and of the Pelargonium : 
but they occasionally prowl along the sea-shore, and feed on the 
dead carcasses of seals and sca-lions when they fall in their way. 
The wild goats have retreated to the highest ridges of the 
mountain, where they are equally secure from disturbance. From 
the very small number, however, that has been seen there, it may 
be inferred that they have not greatly multiplied. 
The only land birds on the island are a species of thrush (Tur- 
dus Guianensis ?), a bunting (Emberiza Brasiliensis ?), and the com- 
mon moor-hen (Fulica Chloropus). These birds have spread over 
the whole island, and are found on the table-land as well as on 
the low ground. The Fulica conceals itself in the wood, where 
it is occasionally run down by the dogs; the others fly about the 
cantonment, and are so tame as to suffer themselves to be caught 
with a hand-net. The latter proved extremely destructive to our 
| : garden, 
