2oO NATURALIST'S CABINET. 



Tenacity of life. 



that in the month of July scarcely one is to be 

 seen that has not some mark of this sort. At the 

 conclusion of an engagement, such as have suffi- 

 cient strength throw themselves into the sea in 

 order to wash off the blood. They are also re- 

 markably tenacious of life, and will survive a 

 fortnight after receiving such wounds as would 

 soon prove mortal to any other quadruped. 

 " One of them/' says Martens, " was not killed 

 though we had cut off most of his fat; and not- 

 withstanding all our blows, he would still bite and 

 snap at us. I ran another several times through 

 the body with my sword, which he did not seem 

 in the least to regard ; but at length, he got up ; 

 ran swifter than I could ; and flung himself from 

 the ice into the sea, where he immediately went 

 to the bottom. When they go into the water, 

 or when they dive, after having breathed, they, 

 in the manner of some other marine animals, 

 whirl themselves round like a wheel. They cut 

 through the waves with great rapidity, sometimes 

 proceeding at the rate of seven or eight miles an 

 hour. They frequently swim on their back, and 

 so near the surface of the water as to have their 

 hind paws perfectly dry. On coming ashore 

 they shake themselves, and smooth their hair with 

 their hind feet : then, applying their lips to those 

 of the females, as if to salute them, they lie down 

 to bask in the sun, or roll themselves up into a 

 ball, and thus fall asleep. Their cubs are as 

 sportive as puppies; they have mock fights, and 



