THE PIED SEAL. 69 



animal, it appeared that this sound (though less 

 harsh) was produced on inspiring as well as on ex- 

 piring air. It would answer its. master, when it 

 heard his voice, though he were at some distance, 

 and out of sight. Whenever this was the case, it 

 seemed to search for him with its eyes ; and as soon 

 as it again perceived him, though only after a few 

 moments' absence, it never failed to exhibit proof 

 of its joy, by a kind of hoarse murmuring noise. 

 Till the animal was rendered tolerably docile, its 

 owner said, that it invariably attempted to bite, 

 with violence, any person who in the slightest de- 

 gree offended it. 



For about eight days, at a certain season of the 

 year, this Seal, which was a male, changed its usu- 

 ally mild disposition to a singular degree of fero- 

 ciousness. During this time it knew no one, and 

 even its master's voice had no influence over its 

 actions. One day, it seized him by the sleeve of his 

 coat, and could not be induced to loose its hold, 

 till its jaws were forcibly wrenched open by means 

 of an iron instrument. Another time it laid hold 

 of the heacl of a tolerably large dog, which it 

 crushed to pieces with its teeth. In short, it ex- 

 ercised its fury upon every living object that ven- 

 tured to come within its reach. It bellowed ; and 

 always, during these days, seemed in great agita- 

 tion. Sometimes it would continue to bellow for 

 many hours successively. 



This animal usually slept in the day time; and 

 F 3 was 



