SEAL. 51 



broad ; with large sparkling black eyes and oblong nos- 

 trils : it has no external ears, but there are two holes 

 which answer the same purpose. The body is the thickest 

 at the junction of the neck, and thence goes tapering 

 towards the tail ; and is covered with thick, bristly, shin- 

 ing hair, of various shades. The feet are of a singular 

 conformation ; and, were it not for the claws with which 

 they are armed, might well be taken for fins : they do 

 indeed assist the animal in swimming, by means of their 

 connecting webs. 



The ordinary length of the seal is from about five to 

 six feet. It is found in every quarter of the globe, but 

 chiefly in the southern and nothern regions. It swarms 

 near the arctic circle ; and in the lower parts of South 

 America, in both oceans. It generally lives in the water, 

 where it subsists on fish : sometimes, however, it ventures 

 ashore, and basks on the rocks ; but the instant it is dis- 

 turbed, it plunges to the bottom. 



On the shores of the North and Icy seas, where the 

 inhabitants are few, seals may be seen by thousands on 

 the rocks, suckling their young. Like all gregarious ani- 

 mals in a wild state, they keep one of their number on 

 the watch; and on the first signal of danger, instantly 

 disappear. 



It is remarkable that seals generally forsake the sea 

 during storms and tempests, and repair to the shore ; 

 along which they sport, enjoying the conflict of the wind 

 and waves. They also migrate from one part of the 

 world to another in immense droves, accompanied by 

 their young ; either from an instinct to plant new colo- 

 nies, or driven away by the older inhabitants of their 

 native depths. 



The female generally produces two or three at a time. 

 The young seals are remarkably docile ; they at once dis- 

 tinguish and obey the voice of their dam, amid the nume- 

 rous clamours of the herd; which sometimes resembles 

 the bleatings of sheep, and sometimes the shriller outcries 

 of a cat. The males frequently have violent conflicts in 



