228 



THE OTARIES. 



WE now proceed to the second great division of the 

 Phocidia, the Diaries ; and in addition to what has 

 been said on p. 98, we may now add, that their fore- 

 paws, as if intended exclusively for swimming, are ge- 

 nerally placed farther back in the body than in the 

 true Phoca, giving them the appearance of pos- 

 sessing a longer neck ; the fingers also are more 

 hid in the skin, and they have no nails ; the hind 

 feet have the membrane or web prolonged beyond 

 the nails into five long straps or ribbons, (see p. 55,) 

 and the under surface of all the extremities are de- 

 void of hair, like the sole of the foot, and are deeply 

 marked with rugae. 



We turn first to the animals which have received 

 the popular name of SEA-LION, a name which has 

 been applied by voyagers to Seals of large dimen- 

 sions for a variety of fanciful and absurd reasons. 

 Thus Funnell, in his narrative of that voyage which 

 goes under the name of Dampier's, applies the ap- 



