COMMON OR HAIR SEAL. 213 



or Seals' Island, and fishermen still living there can 

 remember having seen a few specimens, but there is no 

 other record of Seals having been found there. This 

 was probably at the time when Selsey was an island, 

 and the communication with the mainland was by 

 means of a ferry near the little village of Siddles- 

 ham. 



About 3,000 skins are exported from North-West 

 America. These are sorted into extra large, large, 

 middling, small, and small well marked. 



The large animals vary considerably in colour, many 

 being light brown, and but slightly spotted, while others 

 are lighter still and better marked. The smaller 

 animals are very beautiful ; many of them have grey 

 backs spotted with black and blue, and a lighter belly, 

 covered thickly with dark or black spots. Others are of 

 a light colour all over the body, but they are also 

 spotted. The eyes are large and expressive. The 

 length varies from one to five feet. Like all the 

 other Hair Seals, it closes its hind feet together, 

 when in the water, and propels itself with them, 

 as a whale or porpoise does with its tail. On land 

 it advances by means of a half jump, half wriggle, 

 except when driven, and its rate of progression 

 is consequently very slow ; but it has been known 

 to travel across country in winter as far as thirty 

 miles. 



If shot in the head, whilst in the water, its carcase 

 will not sink for a short time. 



This is the Seal seen in Heraldry. 



The young Seals are small, and covered with white 

 hair, and are called Whitecoats. 



The large skins are sometimes used for the 

 manufacture of leather, but the smaller are used for 



