VOYAGE TO SPITZBERGEN. 73 



tion than these are imbued with. The climate 

 of Spitzbergen being an extreme of cold, the ani- 

 mals of a more genial country cannot exist there. 

 These species are indigenous to the regions of 

 frost ; cold is their element, and in it alone they 

 thrive. 



The amphibious animals come next in order ; 

 and as the accounts of them, given by different 

 voyagers and naturalists are extremely confused, I 

 have been more circumstantial than would other- 

 wise have been necessary. 



The Phocce* are the most numerous class of 

 animals which frequent Spitzbergen, where they 

 are found in vast numbers. Though the specific 

 characters of each particular tribe are distinctly 

 marked, their general resemblance is, upon the 

 whole,* so very striking, that the following obser- 

 vations may be applied to them all indiscrimi- 

 nately. In the scale of nature, the Phocae hold 

 an intermediate station between amphibia and 

 perfect fish ; but nearer the latter than the for- 

 mer. The organization of other amphibious ani- 

 mals, such as the beaver, castor, otter, &c. fits 

 them better for living on the land than the water. 

 In this genus the contrary takes place. The arms 



* Under this general appellation, I include the seal, walrus or 

 morse, dugon, &c. 



E 





