THE CARNIVORA 373 



The Common Seal (Phoca vitulina) is of a yellowish-grey colour, 

 spotted above with black and brown so as to give a mottled appear- 

 ance, while below it is of a whitish or silvery grey. In length it 

 varies from three to six feet. The roundish head has a short 

 muzzle, prominent whiskers, and large expressive eyes. Docile, 

 intelligent, and quiet in disposition, the Seal can, however, when 

 attacked, take its own part. It has a fairly wide range, being 

 found in the Black Sea, the Mediterranean, the seaboard facing 

 the Atlantic from Spain to Spitzbergen, from Florida along the 

 American coast to Greenland, near Iceland, and around the British 

 and Scandinavian coasts, and the Baltic. 



Other Seals which can only be mentioned by name, and do 

 not differ greatly from the Common Seal in habit, are the Green- 

 land Seal, known also as the "Saddleback" or "Harp" Seal 

 on account of two broad semicircular markings on the shoulders, 

 extending nearly to the root of the tail ; the Crested Seal, which 

 has a remarkable protuberance upon the top of its head that 

 is really a hood-like development of the nostrils and can be 

 inflated at pleasure ; and the Elephant Seal, which also has a 

 remarkably developed nose, though when alive this proboscis, 

 is not extended to the degree shown in the heads of many stuffed 

 museum specimens. 



The terrestrial Carnivora, or Fissipedia (split-feet), may be 

 divided into three sections, represented familiarly by the Bears 

 (Arctoidea, or bear-like animals), the Dogs (Cynoidea, or dog-like 

 animals), and the Cats (JEluroidea, or cat-like animals). 



The Arctoidea, or bear-like animals, which are nearest the 

 aberrant Pinnipedia (seals and walruses), include the sea otter, 

 otter, skunk, sand-bear, badger, ratel, grison, marten, sable, 

 stoat, glutton, racoon, kinkajou, panda, and bear. 



The Cynoidea include numerous forms, represented by the dog 

 and the fox. 



The /Eluroidea, the most specialised Carnivores, include the 

 cat, lion, tiger, jaguar, cheetah, civet, ichneumon, aard-wolf, 

 and hyena. 



All are large, or comparatively large animals, and, as living 

 specimens are generally to be seen in zoological gardens, their 

 appearance is more or less familiar to the general public, so that 

 a lengthy description here is hardly necessary. Therefore, in the 



