SEAL 



279 



specialists to lie more closely related to the Walrus 

 ( Tricheciihe ) than to the Phocidfe, notwithstanding 

 the great tusks and peculiar dentition of the former. 

 The Otariidte, like tlie walrus, are capable of stand- 

 ing on all four legs, the hind-liinlis being turned 

 forward in walking on land, while in the Phocida) 

 the hind-limbs are trailed behind lioth on shore and 

 in the water, and cannot be used to support the 

 body when the animal is on land. The Earless 

 Seals are commonly supposed to be monogamous, 

 .mil. excepting the Sea-elephants, exhibit little 

 difference in size lietween the sexes. They bring 

 forth their young on shore or on ice-floes, but do 

 not resort to special breeding-places nor remain for 

 any length of time out of the water. The Eared 

 Seals (the Phocidii 1 ), on the other hand, are poly- 

 gamous, and resort with invariable regularity to 

 particular breeding-grounds, where they remain for 

 months till the calves are able to travel ; then they 

 all depart and become [iclagic for the rest of the 

 year. The males are much larger than the females. 

 The Common Seal ( Phoca or Cttiloceplutl ii.t ritnlitiii ) 

 occurs on British coasts, and extends southward to 

 tin- Mediterranean. It is common on the north- 

 western shores of Europe and eastward along the 

 arctic shores. It is very common in Greenland 

 and on the arctic shores of North America, its 

 xriili'Tii limit on the western side of the Atlantic 

 being New Jersey. On the east side of tlie Pacific 

 it extends from southern California to Behring 

 Strait, and probably occurs also on the western 

 simp's of the Nurtli Pacific. This species is always 

 found on shores and not on ice-floes. It is hunted 

 in Newfoundland and Greenland for its skins, 

 which are much valued, though the covering is 

 hair, not fur, and for its oil ami flesh ; but its 

 n Mm KITS are not very great. The Harp-seal (P. 

 groenlantlica), so called from a crescent-shaped 



Harp-seal (Phoca graalandica ). 



dark stripe on each side of the back in the adult, 

 ranges through the arctic regions of the Atlantic, 

 and is said to occur also in the North Pacific, in 

 Kamchatka. It is very abundant in Newfoundland 

 and Greenland, ami numerous on the arctic coasts 

 of Europe e.g. Finmark, Spit/bergen, anil Nova 

 /einhla. This species is verv gnguiaoM, and 

 breeds on ice-floes in spring. Enormous numbers 

 are killed annually for the sake of their oil and 

 -Kins. The Harp-seal has been taken on British 

 coasts. It grows to 8 or 9 feet in length, but its 

 ordinary length is about 6 feet. The Bearded Seal 

 (I'/turrt Imrlttitit) is another species of the North 

 Atlantic which occurs on British enacts ; it reaches 

 9 or 10 feet in length. The Ringed Seal ( /'. 

 ' ) also occurs as a straggler on British shores, 

 but normally lives on the arctic shores of both 

 hemispheres. It is not of great commercial value, 

 lint is highly prized by the Greenlanders and 

 Eskimos, who depend largely on its skin, oil, 

 ami tlenh. It is a small species. Seals occur in 

 large numbers in the Caspian and Aral Seas, where 



they are regularly hunted by the Cossacks. The 

 species of this region is distinguished under the 

 name P. caspica. Another species, P. siberica, 

 occurs in Lake Baikal, which consists of perfectly 

 fresh water, and is situated at a great elevation 

 above sea-level. Haiicheerus grypus, the (I ray 

 Seal, is confined to the coasts of Europe, occurring 

 on the shores of Scandinavia, Ireland, and Scot- 

 land ; it reaches a length of 8 feet. In Denmark, 

 since 1890, an effort has been made to exterminate 

 the seals, in the interests of the fisheries, and a 

 reward of three kroner per head paid for all killed 

 (810 in the first ten months). 



The distribution of the Phocidoe extends to the 

 tropics. Monachus rtlbirenter, called the Monk 

 Seal, inhabits the shores of the Mediterranean, 

 and of Africa as far south as Madeira. Another 

 species of the same genus, M. tropiealis, exists in 

 tlie West Indies, where it was formerly abundant, 

 ihr.iiL'li now rare. Ci/stojihora crittata, the Crested 

 or Hooded Seal, has a remarkable dorsal dilatation 

 of the nose, which can I* inflated with air or 

 depressed as the animal pleases ; when distended, 

 it extends backwards towards the top of the head. 

 This species has the same geographical range as 

 the Greenland or Ham Seal, but is not so numer- 

 ous or so highly valued. Allied to the Crested Seal 

 is the great Sea-elephant, which owes its name to 

 its size and to the elongation of its nose, which 

 forms a short curved prolioscis. The males of this 

 species reach a length of 20 feet, while the females 

 never much exceed 10 feet. The Sea-elephant or 

 Elephant-seal (Q.v. ; Macrorhinus /mni'iia) lives on 

 the antarctic islands and ice-fields, and is hunted 

 for its blublier and skin. Another species of Sea- 

 I'lcphant (M. antfiutirottris) occurs in the northern 

 hemisphere, having been formerly abundant on the 

 coasts of California and western Mexico ; it is now 

 scarce. Other species of Phocidie in the antarctic 

 regions, called Sea-leopards, are Stenorhynchus 

 Ir/ilnnjif and Ltjdonyi ii-nlil* Ilii. 



The second family of Pinniped ia commonly called 

 seals, the Otariidie, are frequently distinguished as 

 Sea-lions and Sea-bears, names corresponding to 

 differences in their hairy covering ; the former 

 carry only long coarse hair, while the latter have 

 in addition a short and soft, delicate fur, beyond 

 which the coarse hairs project. It is this fur which, 

 under the name of seal-skin, is so highly valued in 

 commerce. Sea-lions are sometimes distinguished 



St-a-lion I < Hill-in .-lilfi ri). 

 (From a Photograph by Oambier Bolton F.Z 8.) 



as hair-seals, and Sea-ljears as fur-seals ; but the 

 former name would apply equally well to all the 



T1 1 



1 hocidre. 

 The Otariidiu are about equally represented in 



