GREAT GREY SEAL 



seers. Its dress is brownish-grey, spotted with dark 

 brown, with lighter on the under-parts, and no spots. 

 It has a small head and face, but there are no external 

 ears in any of the species that inhabit British waters, and 

 an absence of what is called under-fur. This latter 

 deficiency accounts for the non-commercial value of the 

 " pelage," as the skin is termed. 



A fact of interest is that, during infancy, young Seals 

 are attired in a white fur, and it is with some reluctance 



/ommon 



that they take to the water until the overtures of their 

 parents entice them to do so. The Common Seal is a 

 gregarious animal. The limbs, as is well known, are 

 modified into flippers, so as to enable the creature to 

 live an aquatic life. On land it is awkward and un- 

 gainly. The water is its rightful home, and there it 

 passes much of its time, coming to land to rest and bask, 

 when its fishing exploits are at an end. 



One, or at the most two, young are born in early 

 Summer. 



Great Grey Seal. — A full-grown male of this some- 

 what restricted species attains a length of about eight 



111 



