64 COMPARATIVE ANATOMY OF 



with all the chief instruments and outlets of mind. 

 Thus the most elaborate, as it is the most celebrated, 

 examination of the senses we have seen, is recorded in 

 very much the following terms : The sight in the 

 Seal is perhaps less imperfect than the other senses, 

 though they see best in a feeble light, and do not ap- 

 pear easily to distinguish forms. I draw this conclu- 

 sion, says the author, the more freely, because the 

 Seals, under observation, always came to examine 

 every mess put within their reach, however much in 

 appearance it diifered from that which alone they 

 would taste. The hearing is proportionally much less 

 perfect than the sight. Having no auricular appen- 

 dage, and passing a great portion of their time at the 

 bottom of the sea, where the orifice must be closed, 

 they must almost remain strangers to all sonorous 

 vibrations; and the very trifling exercise to which 

 these organs are subjected would alone suffice to 

 produce the deficiency which is observed. The 

 smell 9 judging from the external organization, should 

 not be better than the senses already alluded to ; 

 the taste and touch are even worse; and to sum up 

 in a word, " Ce que j'ai dit des organs des sens, ne 

 doit laisser aucune doute sur leurs imperfection."* 

 But this is too much to be endured. Suppose the 

 circumstances reversed; that some of these sub- 

 marine beings, whose imperfections are thus con- 

 temned, had captured our unhappy Naturalist, 

 and in some watery chamber of ocean sate in 



* Ann. a u Mus. t. xvii. 



