THE SEAL. 295 



grinders. The teeth in the bearded seal are by no 

 means formidable, and indeed the whole formation of 

 the animal shows that it is not ferocious in proportion 

 to its bulk. The remote places in which it is found, 

 however, render its habits comparatively little known 

 as a portion of British Natural History. It is much 

 more easy, and probably more interesting, to become 

 acquainted with its congener 



THE COMMON SEAL. 



THE COMMON SEAL is, when full grown, about half 

 the length, and consequently about one-eighth of the 

 size and weight of the former. [We need hardly mention 

 that, as the bodies of animals are solids, having length, 

 breadth, and thickness, two which are of similar shape 

 will have their bulks as the cubes of any one dimen- 

 sion, double the length, double the breadth, and double 

 the thickness, producing, when multiplied together, 

 eight times the volume.] The fore legs of the seal 

 are very short in proportion to the size of the body ; 

 the head and neck have a considerable resemblance to 



