76 Dr. Havwood on the Structure and 



aquatic actions, they are at all governed by this greatly-deve- 

 loped faculty, in what way are odorous impressions conveyed 

 to the nose ? — an inquiry which has, I think, been by np 

 means satisfactorily explained by those who suppose odorous 

 impressions to be conveyed to the nose posteriorly, from the 

 entrance of the throat. 



I really suspect, however visionary it may appear, that seals 

 hunt their prey, or discover its vicinity, by their sense of smell- 

 ing, when swimming on the surface of the water ; for if dogs 

 are very sensible to the scent of a small aquatic fowl on the 

 surface, as we know is the case, why should not the seal of a 

 distant shoal of fishes, sporting, as they constantly do, on the 

 surface, its proper prey, and by means of organs so far more 

 complicated ? The same view of the subject of course equally 

 applies to the delicate nasal organs of the otter and the Polar 

 bear. Vision, then, I would say, is the sense which governs 

 the seal in its actions beneath — smelling, when upon the sur- 

 face, and only when out of the water. 



The seals of the Northern seas are almost entirely destitute 

 of outward ears. The opening into the organ is, like that of 

 the nose, accurately closed by means of a perfect valve. The 

 internal organ of hearing in the seal presents another beautiful 

 intervening gradation in structure between that of the entirely 

 aquatic and the entirely terrestrial quadrupeds : like the latter, 

 the ossicula are attached to the membrana tympani ; and like the 

 true whales, the inferior circumference of the tympanum consists 

 of bone, of unusual thickness and solidity. As to the faculty, 

 I have reason to believe that seals not only hear acutely, but 

 they are sensibly gratified by musical sounds. When I was 

 most amongst these animals, they much excited our amuse- 

 ment ; for, by uttering a whistling sound, we could readily 

 induce them to follow our boats very great distances, when 

 they would continue to raise their heads above the surface 

 nearer and nearer, and to fix their large eyes stedfastly 

 upon us. 



The tongue of the seal is notched at its extremity, unlike that 

 of most other quadrupeds : it is perfectly smooth, yet is doubt- 

 less provided with a tolerably acute sense of taste. The predi- 

 lection of this animal for the salmon is manifest, from the cir- 



