SURFACE-SWIMMING FAUNA (VERTEBRATES). 131 



to produce and care for its young, and it is 

 capable of making some progress over the rocks 

 by the help of its flipper-like fore-limbs ; the 

 Porpoise, on the other hand, never leaves the 

 water of its own free will. Unlike the Porpoise 

 the body of the Seal is covered with a thick coat 

 of hairs, and the hind limbs are retained. Al- 

 though there is a general resemblance in the 

 form of the body between these two animals 

 this form being, in all probability, mechanically 

 the best for rapid progress through the water 

 a glance at their skeletons shows great and im- 

 portant differences, which the merest tyro in 

 anatomy could point out. In expression, too, 

 there is a marked difference, for while the Por- 

 poise has a certain cast of countenance which, 

 when seen at a distance, deserves the epithet 

 " pig-faced," the face of the Seal, with its large 

 round eyes, its small nose and high intelligent 

 brov/, is almost human in expression. 



The Seal has a habit of raising its head above 

 the water and staring at an approaching boat, 

 and when doing this it may readily be mistaken 

 at first sight for a man overboard, but no one 

 could ever mistake a Porpoise for a human 

 being. 



The common Seal has a very wide range 

 occurring near the coast of both the Atlantic 

 and Pacific Oceans. It is found on some of the 

 more sequestered parts of the British shores, 

 but not in large numbers, for the common Seal, 

 unlike many of its allies, does not appear to 

 congregate in large shoals at any time of the 

 year. They are described as being timid, in- 



