ANIMALS. 393 



that time too turbulent for them to reside in ; and they may then 

 l>articularly come upon land when unable to resist the shock of 

 ■.'heir more usual element. 



As seals are gregarious, so are they also animals of passage, 

 and perhaps the only quadrupeds that migrate from one part of 

 the world to another. The generality of quadrupeds are con- 

 tented with their native plains and forests, and seldom stray, ex- 

 cept when necessity or fear impels them. But seals change 

 their habitation, and are seen in vast multitudes directing their 

 course from one continent to another.' On the northern coasts 

 of Greenland they are seen to retire in July, and to return again 

 in September. This time it is supposed they go in pursuit of 

 food. But they make a second departure in March, to cast 

 their young, and return in the begimiing of June, young and all, 

 in a great body together, observing in their route a certain fixed 

 time and track, like birds of passage. When they go upon this 

 expedition, they are seen in groat droves, for many days together, 

 making towards the north, taking that part of the sea most free 

 I'rom ice, and going still forward into those seas where man can- 

 not follow. In what maimer they return, or by what passage, 

 is utterly unknown ; it is only observed, that when they leave 

 the coasts to go upon this expedition, they are all extremely fat, 

 but on their return they come home excessively lean. 



The females, in our climate, bring forth in winter, and rear 

 their young upon some sand-bank, rock, or desolate island, at 

 some distance from the continent. When they suckle their 

 young they sit up on their hinder-legs, while these, which are at 

 first white, with woolly hair, cling to the teats, of which there are 

 four in number, near the navel. ^ In this manner the young con- 

 tinue in the place where they are brought forth, for twelve oi 

 fifteen days ; after which the dam brings them down to the water 

 and accustoms them to swim and get their food by their own in- 

 dustry. As each litter never exceeds above three or four, so the 

 animal's cares are not much divided, and the education of hei 

 little ones is soon completed. In fact, the young are par- 

 ticularly docile •, they understand the mother's voice among the 

 luimerous bleatings of the rest ot the old ones ; they mutuidly 

 assist each other in danger, and are periectly obedient to her call. 



1 Krantz, vol. i. p. 129 

 2 Cucunt in littore resupiuata feiniaa. Lin. Svsr. 



