230 



THE OCEAN. 



Among themselves, however, the males are accus- 

 tomed to fight at certain periods with great fero- 

 city. "Their mode of battle is very singular. The 

 two rival giant knights waddle heavily along; they 

 meet and join snout to snout; they then raise the 



Elephant Seals, Fighting. 



fore part of the body as fur as the fore paws, and 

 open tlieir immense mouths; their eyes are inflamed 

 with rage, and they dash against each other with the 

 greatest violence in their power: now they tumble 

 one over the other; teeth crash with teeth, and jaws 

 with jaws; they wound eaeh other deeply, some- 

 times knocking out each other's eyes, and more fre- 

 quently their tusks; the blood flows abundantly; 

 but these raging foes, without ever seeming to ob- 

 serve it, prosecute the combat till their strength is 



