74 MARINE AND AQUATIC TRESPASSERS. 



pleasant looking animal, but the additional feature of 

 the expanded proboscis gives it a look of ferocity 

 which is quite appalling. Fortunately for its human 

 enemies, its terrors evaporate in mere show, for, .if 

 boldly faced, it will shuffle off as fast as is permitted 

 by its huge, fat, oil-clad body, which quivers like a 

 shape of jelly as it moves along. 



We naturally ask ourselves the use of these singular 

 appendages to the Crested Seal and the Sea Elephant. 

 We do not as yet know, any more than we know the 

 object of the long mane-like hair upon the head, neck, 

 and shoulders of the Seal called the Sea Lion. It de- 

 rives this name partly from the mane, which gives it a 

 lion-like aspect, and partly from its habit of almost 

 perpetually roaring when on shore. This habit, by the 

 way, has more than once been of the greatest use to 

 sailors, by warning them of the vicinity of land or an 

 ice-floe which they were approaching too closely in 

 foggy weather. 



Even with our own species, we do not understand 

 the use of many of the structures. Take, for example, 

 a parallel case, the beard of man, which is analogous 

 to the head-pouch of the Crested Seal, the dilated 

 snout of the Sea Elephant, and the mane of the Sea 

 Lion. It serves no definite purpose, as far "as we know. 

 It cannot be intended, as some have said, for protec- 

 tion against cold, because while the Hindoos, who live 

 in a hot climate, have very large stiff beards, the Esqui- 

 maux of the Northern Polar regions, and the Fuegians 

 of the Southern Pole, are devoid of any such protec- 

 tion, their faces being practically beardless, as far as 

 defensive purposes are concerned. 



