ITS" HABITAT. 409 



attaining, Fabricius tells us, to ten feet in length, and the 

 young of the second year to six and a half feet. Rosted 

 describes it as being as large as an ox, and says that when 

 the animal is full grown and fat its blubber alone weighs 

 from seven to nine " vog," that is, if I mistake not, from 

 270 to 350 pounds English. 



According to Fabriciu.s, the head of this Seal is long, 

 and its forehead peculiarly prominent ; the muzzle very 

 large, and the lips loose; the hairs of its whiskers long, 

 numerous, horny, flexible, smooth, white, and curled at 

 the point ; the external opening of the ear larger than in 

 most other species, but Avithout any auricle ; eyes large, 

 and the pupil round and black, iris brown. The fore paw 

 is more free than in the Common Seal ; the shape also is 

 peculiar, approximating somewhat to that of the human 

 hand, having the middle finger the longest, and the thumb, 

 nearly as short as the little finger; the body long and 

 robust, and the back somewhat elevated : the skin is 

 thick. The hide of the yovmg is supplied with soft hairs, 

 somewhat woolly underneath, which are deciduous, and 

 but thinly scattered over the adult. The colour varies 

 according to the age. The young have a dusky colour, 

 and are white underneath ; the old acquire a deep dark 

 colour — Crantz says black, and Baron Cuvier " grey, 

 sometimes brown above, with a longitudinal streak of 

 black, forming a cross on the chaufrin." 



The Bearded Seal, Eabricius further tells us, frequents 

 the high seas round Greenland, especially delighting in 

 the floating fragments of ice ; that it resorts to land 

 principally in the spring, and is then found amongst 

 the retired islets. It is said to keep much to the deeper 

 parts of the ocean, and to be never met with in herds, but 

 to wander about in pairs or alone. When in the water, it 

 is easily recognized from its head and back protruding 

 high above the surf;ice ; and from its numerous strong 



