THE PIED SEAL. 7 1 



water, and to give it salt and water to drink. 

 When it had at any time been long out of water, 

 its blood became overheated ; and the whites of the 

 eyes, particularly towards their angles, always ap- 

 peared much inflamed. 



This Seal respired only after intervals of consi- 

 derable duration. In these intervals, the nostrils 

 were perfectly closed, and appeared like two large, 

 longitudinal marks at the extremity of the muzzle. 

 The animal never opened them, except to reject 

 the air from its lungs, and to take in a fresh supply. 

 They were often observed to continue thus closed 

 for the space of a couple of minutes together. A 

 kind of whitish mucus, of very disagreeable odour, 

 flowed almost continually from the nostrils. 



This animal died in the month of August, 1779. 



On dissection, after its death, the foramen ovale, 

 contrary to what is usually observed in the animals 

 of the present tribe, was found to be closed by a 

 transparent membrane, disposed in the form of a 

 semi-lunar pouch. M. de Buffbn endeavours to ex- 

 plain the circumstance, by remarking that, in this 

 and other individuals, which have been kept for the 

 purpose of exhibition, the foramen ovale may have 

 closed, in consequence of the change of their ele- 

 ment and habits. The stomach was peculiarly strong 

 and muscular; and the liver was composed of five 

 lobes*. 



* Buffon, par Sonnini, xxxiv. p. 54. 



F4 THE 



