182 SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF MAMMALIA. 



or attached itself more strongly. When it first came 

 to the Jardin des Plantes, it did its best to escape when 

 M. F. Cuvier tried to touch it; but in a very few days its 

 timidity vanished, and it rather courted his caresses than 

 shunned them. In the same enclosure with it were two 

 little dogs, and they amused themselves by mounting on 

 the seal's back, barking, and even biting it: the seal, 

 however, took it in good part, and seemed pleased with 

 them, though it would sometimes give them slight blows 

 with its paws, as if more to encourage their play than 

 repress their liberties. When the little dogs made their 

 way out of the enclosure, the seal tried to follow them, 

 not deterred by the rough and stony ground. In cold 

 weather they all three huddled kindly and warmly toge- 

 ther. If the dogs snatched the fish from the seal's mouth 

 when he was feeding, he bore it patiently ; but he ex- 

 iiibited very different conduct to another seal, who shared 

 liis mess ; lor they generally had a fight over their meal, 

 the combat ending, as usual, in the defeat of the weakest. 



Thk Sea-Leopard 



(^Stenorhynclais lenpardi ii us) : St. Weddellii Lesson ; Phoca 

 leopardina, Jamieson. 



The genus Stenorhynchus is characterized by the pro- 

 minence of the muzzle and the jagged form of the teeth, 

 which have each a bold acute middle tubercle, and an 

 anterior and posterior acute tubercle of smaller size, 

 separated from the middle one by a deep notch. Claws 

 very small. 



4 . 1 — 1 



Dental formula : — Incisors, - ; canines, ; — , ; molars, 

 ;. r ' 4 ' 1 — 1 ' ' 



l__ =32. (See Fig. 121.) Fig. 122 represents the 



skull of a species of Stenorhynchus. 



Of the habits of the sea-leopard little is ascertained. 

 It inhabits the South Shetlands (south of Terra del 

 Fuego), in 60° 37' S. lat., and attains to the length of 

 eleven feet. The hair is soft and thin, grayish above, 



