144 



SEAL. Class I. 



* found it had no way to efcape, but by running 

 ' into fhoal water: the feal purfued ; and the for- 



* mcr, to get more furely out of danger, threw it- 



* lelf on its fide, by which means it darted into 

 ' fhoaler water than it could have fwam in with the 



* depth of its paunch and fins, and fo efcaped. 



* The feal brings her young about the begin- 



* ning of autumn ; our fifhermen have feen two 



* fucking their dam at the fame time, as fhe ftood 

 ^ in the lea in a perpendicular pofition. 



^ Their head in fwimming is always above 

 ^ water, more fo than that of a dog. 



* They fleep on rocks furrounded by the fea, or 



* on the lefs acceffible parts of our cliffs, left dry 



* by the ebb of the tide •, and if difturbed by any 



* things take care to tumble over the rocks into 

 ^ the fea. They are extremely watchful, and ne- 



* ver deep long without moving ; feldom longer 



* than a minute ; then raife their head;?, and if they 



* hear or fee nothing more than ordinary, lie down 



* again, and fo on, raifing their heads a little, and 



* reclining them alternately, in about a minute's 

 ^ time. Nature feems to have given them this 

 ^ precaution, as being unprovided with auricles, 

 ' or external ears ; and confequently not hearing 

 ^ very quick, nor from any great diftance.' 



In Sir R. Sibbcdd\ hi (lory of Scotland^ we find 

 an account of another fpccies of the feal kind, 

 which is copied from Boethius. The animal he 

 inentions is the fea-.horfe. Walrus or Morfe : as this 



vail 



