THE SEAL. 51L 
A number of men had gone in a boat to the Sound of Achil, and having seen a Seal 
and her young one reposing on the sand, had borrowed an old musket, and set off to 
attack them. They succeeded in securing the cub before it could reach the sea, and tossod 
it into their boat. The mother Seal, however, inspired by maternal love, swam after the 
boat which contained her offspring, and could not be deterred from following the captors 
in the hope of rescuing her child. The men attempted several times to shoot the poor 
creature, but their ricketty weapon would not explode until it had been several times 
futilely snapped. At last, however, it performed its duty, and lodged the ball in the 
Seal’s head. 
The body was immediately lifted into the boat, when to the horror of the captors, the 
animal, which was only stunned, recovered its senses, and began a most furious attack 
upon its enemies, floundering about the boat with such energy that she nearly overset it, 
and snapping fiercely at the legs of her antagonists. The contest soon assumed a serious 
aspect, for the teeth of the angry animal were urged with such fury that they cut deeply 
into the oars with which her attacks were warded off, and if assistance had not speedily 
SKELETON AND TEETH OF COMMON SEAL. 
arrived, the result might have been of a very tragic nature. A gentleman, however, that 
happened to be sailing near the scene of combat, was attracted by the curious spectacle 
of a boat’s crew engaged in such strange evolutions, and directing his course towards 
them, ended the combat by a rifle bullet. 
Of late days, performing Seals haye come into vogue under various titles, among 
which the “Talking Fish” is well known. These clever animals have been taught to 
perform sundry ingenious feats, requiring not only an intelligent mind to comprehend, 
but an activity of body to execute, apparently incompatible with the conformation of 
the animal. 
They will bark at the word of command, their phocine tongue being very freely 
translated into the language of any country in which they may happen to be; they 
will rotate in their water tub with singular velocity; they will offer to kiss any one 
who is not afraid of their large wet hairy mouth, and in fine will go through many 
similar performances with great skill and seeming enjoyment of the attention paid to 
them by their visitors. For they are wonderfully fond of admiration, these Seals, and 
although very shy to those with whom they are unacquainted, and before they have 
become accustomed to the sight of strangers, are highly appreciative of the kind words 
and caresses which fall to their lot while they are going through their tricks. 
Even the Seals at the Zoological Gardens, who are not put through any particular 
training, are not without their little coquetries with regard to the ever changing circle 
of visitors who stand around the railings which inclose their habitations, while their 
