294 THE SEAL. 



and though its feet be webbed like those of the water- 

 fowl, they are not so fully developed, and therefore it is 

 not so well adapted for motion upon land. There are 

 two species of seal on the British shores : the great 

 seal, or bearded seal, (phoca barbata,) and the common 

 seal, or sea-calf, (phoca vitulma). 



The BEARDED SEAL is an inhabitant of more north- 

 erly regions than Britain, being found in greater num- 

 bers in the Greenland seas, where the natives reckon 

 the flesh of it a dainty; but among the remote Scottish 

 isles, there are generally a few to be met with, which 

 bring forth their young in the caves, though at a later 

 period of the season than the common seal. This is 

 another argument against the migration of any sea 

 animals toward the polar regions for the purpose of 

 breeding ; as we find those of the same genus that 

 have their habitude farther to the north, two or three 

 months longer in producing their young, which proves 

 that they need a longer continuation of the action of 

 the summer heat to bring them to maturity. 



The bearded seal is rather a large animal, being 

 about twelve feet in length, and weighing at least two 

 tons. The hair with which it is covered is brownish, 

 or dark gray, and coarse. The upper lip is divided 

 into two lobes by a furrow, which is black and naked, 

 and upon each of the lobes there are eight rows of 

 strong white bristles, semi-transparent, and curled at 

 the end, from which it gets its specific name. As seals 

 do not swallow their food entire, as is the case with 

 the fishes, and even the cctacctz, they are furnished 

 both with incisorcs or cutting teeth, and molar 'es, or 



