108 FAUNA AMERICANA. 



ferior; nails rather strong; bristles of the whisk- 

 ers, undulating; colour of the animal, grayish- 

 yellow, more or less glazed with brown, accord- 

 ing to age ; hair abundant and thick. 



Dimensions. Total leno;th, from the extremity 

 of the head to the end of the feet, three feet 

 three inches six lines ; of the head, six inches six 

 lines ; trunk of the tail, three inches four lines ; 

 circumference of the body, posterior, to the fore 

 feet, one foot six inches. 



Description. Body elongated, diminishing in 

 thickness from the chest to the tail; neck very 

 short ; head round, having at its anterior portion 

 much analogy to that of the o'tter; snout broad, 

 flat, and truncated ; upper lip very moveable, pro- 

 vided with whiskers; six incisors above, four be- 

 low ; four canine and five cuttinsr lobate molars 

 on each side of both jaws ; ears marked only by a 

 small tubercle at the anterior borders of their 

 orifices; meatus auditorius opening anterior to 

 the tympanum at the side of the eye ; posterior 

 portion of the head very thick, without occipital 

 or saggital crests ; feet short, five-toed ; the nails 

 are largest on the hind feet, thick, long, free, and 

 of a black colour ; hair compact, not incumbent 

 posteriorly as in other seals; general colour of 

 the body of a grayish-yellow, more or less undu- 

 lated with brown. 



Habit. These animals are much more intelli- 

 gent than could be expected from beings purely 



