THE SEAL. 



THIS animal resembles a quadruped in some respects, 

 and a fish in others. The head is round, and the nose 

 broad, with oblong nostrils and large sparkling black eyes ; 

 it has no proper external ears, but there are two apertures 

 which answer the same purpose. The body is thickest at 

 the j notion of the neck ; and thence goes tapering towards 

 the tail, and is covered with thick bristly shining hair of 

 various shades. The feet are of singular conformation ; 

 and, were it iiot for the claws with which they are armed, 

 might well be t ken for fins-, and they actually do assist 

 the animal in sw mming, 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 towards the south .rn and northen regions. It 

 swarms near the Arctic circle, and 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. 



