T/ie Seal Tribe. 127 



No male seal, therefore, can leave his ground for a 

 moment, as, if he did so, the surrounding proprietors 

 would at once take possession of it, and carry off his 

 wives. Consequently, he cannot venture into the sea for 

 food ; and, if he had not some other mode of sustain- 

 ing life, would soon die of hunger. But, just as the 

 camel can sustain life by absorbing the fat contained 

 in its hump, so the seal can feed if we may use the 

 term on the thick coating of fat which envelops the 

 body. 



An adult male seal is really a formidable antagonist. 

 When in best condition, it will weigh some twenty- 

 five stone, and by the mere rush of its onset, and 

 weight of its body, will overset any human foe who 

 does not know how to oppose it. 



Strong though the seal may be, it has one part of 

 its body which is as vulnerable as the heel of Achilles. 

 It has been already mentioned that a great number of 

 nerves converge upon the upper lips and nostrils. A 

 blow upon the nose will instantly stun, even if it 

 should not kill, the most powerful seal that ever lived. 

 But it must be well aimed, as the fatal area is very 

 small; and if it be missed, the antagonist will find 

 himself sprawling on the ground, and in very evil 

 condition froin the mere weight of the seal as it 

 flounders over him. 



My readers may remember the celebrated fight 

 between Hector Mclntyre and the ' Phoca,' in Sir 

 W. Scott's ' Antiquary,' and the discomfiture of the 

 too impetuous Highlander. 



The food of the seal consists chiefly of fish, which 

 its wonderful powers of swimming enable it to capture 

 with little difficulty. Various molluscs and Crustacea, 

 however, also form part of its diet. 



In order to assist the animal in seizing its prey, and 

 also in retaining it when once secured, the teeth are 



