DOCILITY OF THE SEAL. 



A number of men had gone in a boat to the Sound of Achil, and having seen a Seal 

 and her young one reposing on the sand, had borrowed an old musket, and set off to 

 attack them. They succeeded in securing the cub before it could reach the sea, and 

 tossed it into their boat. The mother Seal, however, inspired by maternal love, swam 

 after the boat which contained her offspring, and could not be deterred from following the 

 captors in the hope of rescuing her child. The men attempted several times to shoot 

 the poor creature, but their ricketty weapon would not explode until it had been several 

 times futilely snapped. At last, however, it performed its duty, and lodged the ball 

 in the Seal's head. 



The body was immediately lifted into the boat, when to the horror of the captors, the 

 animal, which was only stunned, recovered its senses, and began a most furious attack 

 upon its enemies, floundering about the boat with such energy that she nearly overset it, 

 and snapping fiercely at the legs of her antagonists. The contest soon- assumed a seri- 

 ous aspect, for the teeth of the angry animal were urged with such fury that they cut 

 deeply into the oars with which her attacks were warded off, and if assistance had not 



SKELETON AND TEETH OP COMMON SEAL. 



speedily arrived, the result might have been of a very tragic nature. A gentleman, how- 

 ever, that happened to be sailing near the scene of combat, was attracted by the curious 

 spectacle of a boat's crew engaged in such strange evolutions, and directing his course 

 towards them, ended the combat by a rifle bullet. 



Of late days, performing Seals have come into vogue under various titles, among 

 which the " Talking Fish " is well known. These clever animals have been taught to 

 perform sundry ingenious feats, requiring not only an intelligent mind to comprehend, 

 but an activity of body to execute, apparently incompatible with the conformation of 

 the animal. 



They will bark at the word of command, their phocine tongue being very freely 

 translated into the language of any country in which they may happen to be ; they 

 will rotate in their water tub with singular velocity ; they will offer to kiss any one 

 who is not afraid of their large wet hairy mouth, and in fine will go through many 

 similar performances with great skill and seeming enjoyment of the attention paid to 

 them by their visitors. For they are wonderfully fond of admiration, these Seals, and 

 although very shy to those with whom they are unacquainted, and before they have 

 become accustomed to the sight of strangers, are highly appreciative of the kind words 

 and caresses which fall to their lot while they are going through their tricks. 



Even the Seals at the Zoological Gardens, who are not put through any particular 

 training, are not without their little coquetries with regard to the ever-changing circle 

 of visitors who stand around the railings which inclose their habitations, while their 



