244 DOMESTICATED ANIMALS 



elsewhere noted, wounded seals behave in a curiously appeal- 

 ing way towards their assailants. When in captivity certain 

 of the species show a remarkable friendliness and a capacity 

 to receive training. No other wild animals, except perhaps 

 the elephants, exhibit so great a fitness for profiting from 

 contact with man. 



Althoueh our knowledore as to the habits of seals is still 

 very imperfect, it appears likely that the greater part of the 

 species have the habit of resorting to certain places during the 

 breeding season, and that the individuals after the manner of 

 certain fishes return at that time to their native shore. If 

 this be true, as there is good reason to believe it is, it should 

 not be a matter of grave difficulty, provided the maritime 

 nations would abet the experiment, to establish seal colo- 

 nies composed of the several promising forms at fit points 

 in the circumpolar seas. There is reason to suppose that 

 with ordinary decent treatment the animals would become to 

 a great degree accustomed to men, and that it might be pos- 

 sible to accomplish selection enough of the individuals which 

 were left to breed, to develop the already valuable character- 

 istics of the fur. In the present disgraceful condition of our 

 relations to these animals it will be but a few years before we 

 shall have to lament the extirpation of several species, includ- 

 ino- the most interesting members of the group. 



Looking upon the questions of man's future on the earth 

 in a large way, we see that there are reasons why the animals 

 of the high north, particularly those which obtain their food 

 from the sea. should be protected from extermination. There 

 is a great area of country in that part of the world which is not 

 adapted to the occupation of any of the species which have as 

 yet been domesticated. If this portion of the world is ever 



