368 THE SEAL. 



fond of such honors, claim the merit of being a first descri- 

 ber myself; but, in fact, the varieties in this animal are so 

 many, that were they all described, the catalogue would 

 be as extensive as it would be useless and unentertaining. 

 It is sufficient to observe, that they agree in the general 

 external characters already mentioned, and internally in 

 two or three more, which are so remarkable as to deserve 

 peculiar attention. 



It has been often remarked, that all animals are saga- 

 cious in proportion to the size of their brain. It has, in 

 support of this opinion, been alleged, that a man, with re- 

 spect to his bulk, has, of all others, the largest. In pur- 

 suance of this assumption, some erroneous speculations 

 have been formed. But, were the size of the brain to de- 

 termine the quantity of the understanding, the Seal would 

 of all other animals, be the most sagacious ; for it has, in 

 proportion, the largest brain of any, even man himself not 

 excepted. However, this animal is possessed of but very 

 few advantages over other quadrupeds ; and the size of its 

 brain furnishes it with few powers that contribute to its 

 preservation. 



This animal differs also in the formation of its tongue 

 from all other quadrupeds. It is forked or slit at the end, 

 like that of serpents ; but for what purpose it is thus singu- 

 larly contrived, we are at a loss to know. We are much 

 better informed with respect to a third singularity in its con- 

 formation, which is, that the foramen ovale in the heart is 

 open. Those who are in the least acquainted with anato- 

 my, know, that the veins uniting bring their blood to the 

 heart, which sends it into the lungs, and from thence it 

 returns to the heart again to be distributed through the 

 whole body. Animals, however, before they are born, 

 make no use of their lungs ; and therefore their blood, 

 without entering their lungs, takes a shorter passage 

 through the very partition of the heart, from one of its 

 chambers to the other, thus passing from the veins directly 



