THE AMPHIBIOUS CARNIVORA. 49 



reputed hurtful and poisonous blood, but rather a re- 

 servoir of purified arterial blood, which would gra- 

 dually pour forth its contents as circumstances re- 

 quired. Such an apparatus has lately been pointed 

 out in Whales, and satisfactorily, we think, accounts 

 for their capabilities, but we believe that no corre- 

 sponding provision has hitherto been detected in 

 the Seals though we would almost venture to pre- 

 dicate its existence. 



But leaving this point, we proceed to remark, that 

 the bodies of the Amphibia are beautifully modified 

 for their requirements in the watery element. If 

 we glance at the general shape of any of the Seals, 

 it will appear that its trunk as much resembles that 

 of a fish as that of a common quadruped. This 

 change is effected chiefly by a modification of what 

 is called the pelvis, corresponding to the haunches 

 in man. In the herbivorous Cete the bony frame- 

 work of these parts disappears, whilst in the Am- 

 phibia it remains, but undergoes a great change. 

 It becomes comparatively very small, and very 

 much elongated, the bones of the opposite sides 

 approximating to each other, so that the pelvis 

 appears like an elongated and slender pyramid, ter- 

 minating the trunk very much like the hinder part 

 of a Whale. 



The extremities undergo a still more striking 

 change. The fore-legs or arms, which are destitute 

 of collar-bones, are so hid beueath the skin of the 



See Nat. Lib. Vol. xvi. p. 49. 



D 



