246 



THE SEALS. 



THH TRUE SEALS 



(I'HOCIDA). 



Distinguished from the eared seals by the absence of an 

 external ear 



Besides the distinguishing mark just men- 

 tioned there are several other characteristic 

 features in the members of this group. 

 Among these are short limbs, the upper part 

 of which is buried in the flesh of the body, 

 while both sides of the flippers are covered 

 with hair; the two outer toes of the hind-limbs 

 longer than the inner ones; and the negative 

 character consisting in the absence of lobes 

 on the flippers, continued beyond the end of 

 the limb in the direction of the digits. The 

 dentition varies in different genera as regards 

 the number of the incisors and the form of 

 the molars, which often have only one root. 

 On the strength of these characters several 

 genera have been distinguished. 



All these animals have at bottom the same 

 habits, differing only in accordance with the 

 climate of their resorts and the more or less 

 injurious acquaintance which they have made 

 with man, who often pursues them with fury 

 for their skins, their fat, and in northern lands 

 also for their flesh. They always live gre- 

 gariously and often in very numerous flocks, 

 near the coast or near ice-fields, and readily 

 quit the water to rest, to sleep, or to bask in 

 the sun. Mostly of a peaceable and yielding 

 disposition they get into conflict with one 

 another only at the breeding season, when 

 similar scenes take place to those which have 

 been described with reference to the eared 

 seals. They sleep at irregular hours, and seek 

 their food, which consists of fish, crustaceans, 

 and molluscs, according to the hours and sea- 

 sons. They swim and dive admirably, .sleep 

 swimming, and perform the most astonishing 

 feats in swimming with ease and elegance. 

 The shortness of their flippers renders them 

 very awkward on land, but they take advan- 

 tage of the fle.xibility of their spinal column 



in order to drag themselves up steep rocks. 

 Curious and intelligent (for curiosity is always 

 the mother of intelligence) they are often 

 attracted by objects which they have never 

 seen before. In those parts where they have 

 not yet made acquaintance with man they 

 come up and examine with interest ships, 

 boats, and men who have landed on the 

 beach, and exhibit much gentleness and a 

 complete confidence, which is often their 

 destruction. They love and protect their 

 offspring, and female seals have been seen to 

 weep over the loss of their young. In the 

 case of many species it has also been shown 

 that they come to the assistance of comrades 

 in danger. Sharks, large dolphins, and in 

 the Arctic Regions the polar bear are their 

 greatest enemies next to man; but in many 

 parts of the world they are masters, and live 

 in a peaceable and comfortable manner. 



The scene is changed as soon as man 

 appears to hunt them. Endowed with sharp 

 sight, keen scent, and sufficiently good hear- 

 ing, the seals very soon learn to withdraw 

 themselves from attack so far as possible. 

 They become timid, approach the shore only 

 with extraordinary caution, raise their nostrils 

 above the water to breathe only for an in- 

 stant, examine the district carefully before 

 they come to land, and appoint sentinels 

 during the period of rest. After a few years 

 they begin to know the range of firearms, 

 and the hunters must then employ all the 

 devices employed in fox-hunting to outwit 

 them. Unfortunately the period of learning 

 was too short for some species, and has 

 scarcely sufficed to prevent their complete 

 extermination. 



The young seals swim immediately after 

 birth, without having to undergo the training 

 necessary in the case of the sea-lions. 



The Sea-elephant {Cystophora proboscided), 

 fig. 127, is the largest of the Pinnipedia, at- 

 taining a length of 26 feet, and a weight of 

 more than 5 tons. It belongs with the 

 next species to a genus distinguished by 



