22S 



pretend io have seen the skin, \\liich, they say, 

 is covered with a very soft and sleek hair, re- 

 semh!in>' in colonr that of the sea-wolf. 



But leaving the examination of these animals 

 to those who liavc an opportunity of nuiking 

 farther discoveries respecting- them, I shall pro- 

 ceed to treat of tliose that are known, which 1 

 shall divide into those that have toes, or are di- 

 gitated, and those that are hoofed. This divi- 

 sion^ although imperfect, appears to me to be 

 better adapted than a more technical one, for tlie 

 arrangement of so small a number of species. 

 Those which have toes are either web-footed or 

 cloven-footed. The former live in the vvater^ 

 and feed upon fish. Those who inhabit the sea 

 are the following : 



The urignc ( phoca lupina). This species of 

 phoca, which the French and Spaniards call the 

 sea-wolf, differs but little from the common seal ; 

 this difiererce principally consists in its size and 

 colour. It is from three to six and even eiglit 

 feet in length ; and its colour is brown, grey, 

 and sometiiues whitish, but ail of these are 

 merely varieties of the same species. This 

 animal is large forw ard, butgradually diminishes, 

 like a fish, towards the hi.ider feet, which are 

 united within the same skin, and form the extre- 

 mity of its body. It is covered with two kinds 

 of fiair, one stiff, and the other soft like that of 

 ail ox. The head is large and round, and re- 



