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THE SEAL, OR PHOCA. 



THE Seal refembles a quadruped in fome refpeds, and a fifli in 

 others. The head is round j the nofe broad; the teeth like thofe 

 of a dog ; the eyes large and fparkling ; no external ears, but holes ; 

 the neck of a moderate length; the body thickeft at the fl]oulders; 

 from whence the animal tapers to the tail. The body is covered wit-h 

 a thick briftly ftiining hair, which looks as if rubbed over with oil. The 

 feet of this animal, though furnidied with thcfam.e number of bones as 

 quadrupeds, yet are fo (luck on the body, and covered with a membrane, 

 that they refemble tins, except by their clav/s. The fore-feet are greatly- 

 hid under the ikin, and are covered with a thick fkin,, which ferves like 

 a fin, for fwimming ; have five claws, long, black, and piercing. The 

 hind-feet are ftretched out on each fide the fkort tail, covered alfo with a 

 hairy fkin, and almoft joining at the tail. Thefe being turned back- 

 wards, are ufclefs on land; fothat when the animal moves, it drags itfelf 

 forward by its fore-feet. 



This animal is found from four feet long to nine; fome black, others 

 Ipotted, white, or yellow. Were the fize of the brain to determine the 

 quantity of underftanding, the feal would of all animals be the mofl: faga- 

 cious J for it has, in proportion, the largeft brain of any, but the fize of 

 its brain furniflies it with little increafe of wifJcm. Its tongue is forked 

 or flit at the end, for what purpofe we are ignorant. By a Angularity 

 of conformation, th^ foramen ovale in the heart is open ; io that, though 

 the blood of this animal cornmonly circulates through the lungs, yet it 

 can circulate directly through the heart, whereby, being under no 

 immediate necefilty of breathing, the vital motions are carried on while 

 in the water : but though it can continue feveral minutes under water, 

 yet it is not able, like fifhes, to remain there for any length of time ; 

 is leldom found diftant from the fhore, but bafking on the rocks; 

 when dKturbed, plunges at once to the bottom. Numbers are generally 

 feen together ; found in every climate, but in the north and icy leas par- 

 ticularly, by thoufands, balking on the rocks, and fuckiing their young. 

 They are animals of paffage, and perhaps the only quadrupeds that emi- 

 grate. On the north coafts of Greenland they retire in July, and return 

 in September. They make a fecond departure in March to caft their 

 young, and return in June, young and all together, obfcrving in their 

 route a certain fixed time and track, like birds of paCage. The females 



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