^'2 ORNITHOLOGICAL RAMBLES. 



continue sailing smoothly on, for half-an-hour or 

 more, without the smallest semblance of any living 

 object to vary the monotony of the scene. Sometimes, 

 at a moment the least expected, the sable head of some 

 enormous monster would suddenly appear within 

 apparent range, and the immediate seizure of gun or 

 rifle would sadly disconcert the quiet imbibition of 

 a dram of whiskey, or the calm discussion of a biscuit. 

 By and by we passed a long, low, corrugated shoal, on 

 the further side of which I could plainly distinguish 

 two seals. ; On this I landed, and attempted to stalk 

 them, but without avail. I had but the mortification 

 of observing their reproachful countenances gleaming 

 far out on the smooth water on the sheltered side. It 

 is most surprising the distance they can dive on end 

 without coming up for air : and when they do appear, 

 their smooth, round, innocfeit-looking heads, slightly 

 spheroidal in form, look somewhat like those of infant 

 children of the coloured race of man, nimbly resting 

 on the wave. 



Most wonderful and beautiful is the manner in which 

 these creatures are adapted to the purposes which they 

 are intended to serve. No person who has ever seen one 

 of them close at hand can have failed to have noticed 

 their very expressive and strikingly developed eye. 

 " The eye of the seal is fitted for a double action for 

 seeing either in the water or the air. There is no eye 

 which can be said to have, upon the whole, to perform 



