192 



SKETCH OF THE HISTORY OF MAMMALIA. 



wide their mouth, and display a formidable set of tusks, 

 but never attempt to bite. Should this, however, fail to 

 intimidate their disturbers, they set themselves at length 

 in motion, and make for the water, but with such deli- 

 beration, that, on an excursion we once made to the 

 opposite side of the island, two of our party were tempted 

 to get upon the back of one of them and rode him fairly 

 into the water." These animals taken young are easily 

 tamed, and become very affectionate ; one petted by an 

 English seaman became so attached to his master from 

 kind treatment for a few months, that it would come at 

 his call, allow him to mount upon its back and put his 

 hands into its mouth. 



The voice of the male is deep, hoarse, and terrific, 

 and may be heard at a great distance ; that of the females 

 and young is a kind of loud bellowing. 



The food of the elephant-seal appears in great part to 

 consist of cuttle-fish and seaweed, the beaks of the former 

 and remains of the latter, often mixed with pebbles, 

 being commonly found in the stomach. 



It is for the oil of this species principally, which, be- 

 sides being yielded in great abundance, is clear and 

 inodorous, that the seal-fisheries of the South Pacific are 

 conducted. The skin, moreover, is valuable, from its 

 strength and thickness, and is extensively used for car- 

 riage and horse harness. The flesh is oily and disgusting, 

 but the tongues, when salted, are said to be very excel- 

 lent. 



The Ursine Seal 



{Arctocephalus ursinus) ; Phoca ursina, Linn. ; Ursus 

 marinus, Stellar ; X' Ours marin of Buffon. 



The characters of the genus Arctocephalus are as 

 follows : — Head with a narrow retracted muzzle : the 



dentition thus : Incisors, - ; canines, ; molars, 



4 1 — 1 5 — 5 



:= 36 (see Fig. 131) ; small external eai's. Fig 132 re- 

 presents the skull of xVrctocephalus. 



The ursine seal attains the length of nearly eight feet ; 



