52 URSINE SEAL. 



defence of their mates, and watch over the conduct of 

 the latter with a jealous eye. 



The flesh of the seal is accounted wholesome, but these 

 animals are killed chiefly for the sake of their skin and 

 oil. To the Greenlanders they furnish almost every ne- 

 cessary of life, and are indeed a principal article of their 

 wealth. Formerly the flesh of the seal was esteemed 

 delicate eating at the tables of the great and opulent, 

 even in our own country ; but, though met with in abun- 

 dance on several parts of the British coasts, we never 

 find them entering into a modern bill of fare. 



URSINE SEAL. 



This animal, which also has the appellation of the sea- 

 bear, usually associates with the manatus and the sea-lion, 

 on the coasts where they are found ; which is chiefly in 

 the high latitudes, between America and Asia. From 

 June to September it inhabits the islands off Kamtschatka ; 

 where it brings forth its young in perfect security, and 

 during this period leads a very indolent life. 



The ursine seals live in families, each male having seve- 

 ral females under his superintendence. Such as are 

 grown old, or are destitute of mates, live apart from the 

 rest, and appear melancholy, peevish, and turbulent. 

 There are frequent combats among the males ; for a fe- 

 male is never won or lost by them without a contest, and 

 she always follows the victor. 



The male is very affectionate to his offspring : but, 

 though sufficiently attentive to his favourite females, he 

 keeps up a distant kind of superiority, and seems to exact 

 their obedience, which they manifest by the most prompt 

 submission to his will. The male is considerably larger 

 than the female ; a full grown one is about eight feet long, 

 and weighs not less than eight hundred pounds. The fore 

 legs, which are about two feet long, are furnished with 

 toes covered with a naked skin : the hind legs are some- 

 what shorter, and are placed far back : yet they are capa- 



