AMPHIBIOUS QUADRUPEDS. 



they continue to live in society, hunt and breed 

 together, and have a variety of tones, by which 

 they encourage to pursue, or warn each other of 

 danger. Some compare their voices to the bleat- 

 ing of a flock of sheep, interrupted now and 

 then by the barking of angry dogs, and some- 

 times the shriller notes of a cat.* All along the 

 shore, each has its own peculiar rock, of which 

 it takes possession, and where it sleeps when 

 fatigued with fishing, uninterrupted by any of 

 the rest. The only season when their social 

 spirit seems to forsake them, is that when they 

 feel the influences of natural desire. They then 

 fight most desperately, and the male that is vic- 

 torious keeps all the females to himself. Their 

 combats on these occasions are managed with 

 great obstinacy, and yet great justice : two are 

 never seen to fall upon one together ; but each 

 has its antagonist, and all fight an equal battle, 

 till one alone becomes victorious. 



We are not certainly informed how long the 

 females continue pregnant ; but if we may judge 

 from the time which intervenes between their de- 

 parture from the Greenland coasts and their re- 

 turn, they cannot go above seven or eight months 

 at the farthest. How long this animal lives is 

 also unknown : a gentleman whom I knew in 

 Ireland, kept two of them, which he had taken 

 very young, in his house for ten years ; and they 

 appeared to have the marks of age at the time I 

 saw them, for they were grown grey about the 



* Linnai Syst. 



