162 WILD BEASTS OF THE WORLD 



a few jerks forward send them into it, while most of their life is spent 

 at sea. 



The pups, however, are born on land ; but in the case of the 

 Common Seal they take to the sea on the very day of birth. This is 

 not the rule, however, with Seals, which generally stay on the land 

 or ice, wherever they are born, for some days or even weeks. They 

 are also usually born with a woolly white coat as baby-clothes. 



The infant Common Seal, however, has the same spotted coat as 

 its parents at birth, or very shortly after, but is without spots on the 

 under-parts. As it gets older it becomes more spotted below, if a 

 male, the females never being so much spotted ; but, on the whole, 

 there is little sex-difference in size or colour in this animal. A good- 

 sized male will measure about six feet in length, and weigh up to 

 sixteen stone; females run smaller, but not conspicuously so. 



The Common Seal has a wide range, being found all round the 

 world in the North, and occasionally entering the Mediterranean, 

 though this sea is the proper domain of the unspotted Monk Seal 

 (Monachus albiventer). In our Islands it is not common on the 

 southern English coasts, being too liable to disturbance there, while 

 the shores are unsuitable; but to the northward it becomes more 

 abundant, and is much more familiar in Scotland, the western Islands 

 and the Orkneys and Shetlands being its main haunts in the kingdom. 

 In Ireland it is less common than in Scotland. 



It is as sedentary as circumstances will allow, constantly frequenting 

 the same haunts if it is undisturbed and finds the fishing good ; but 

 of course its movements are to a large extent governed by those of 

 the fish on which it feeds. In pursuit of these it often ascends rivers 

 to some distance. 



The Seal does no harm to man except when it destroys Salmon 

 and breaks the nets set for these fish ; and it is of considerable utility 

 in respect of its oil and hide. The latter, like that of all the true 

 Seals, is not provided with the beautiful under-fur which makes " seal- 

 skin," but it has of late been much used for motoring-coats. Generally 

 speaking, there is every reason to protect this harmless and interesting 



