30 THE FISHERIES OF THE UNITED STATES. 



from tbe groiiud. The fore feet, or flippers, are a pair of dark bluish -black hands, about 8 or 10 inches broad at 

 their jiiiictiou with the body, and the metacarpal joint, running out to an ovate point at their extieiuity, some 15 

 to IS inches from this uiiion; all the rest of the forearui, the ulna, radius, and humerus being concealed under-the 

 skin and thick blubber-folds of the main body and neck, hidden entirely at this season, when it is so fat. But six 

 weeks to three months after this time of landing, when that superfluous fat and flesh has been consumed by self- 

 absorption, those bones show plainly under the shrunken skin. On the u])per side of these flippers the hair of the 

 body straggles down finer and fainter as it comes below to a point close by, and slightly beyond that spot of juuctiou 

 where the phalanges and the metacarpal bones unite, similar to that point on our own hand where our knuckles are 

 placed; and here the hair ends, leaving the rest of the skin to tbe end of the flipper bare and wrinkled iu phices at 

 the margin of the inner side; showing, also, fine small pits, containing abortive nails, which are situated imuiediately 

 over the union of the phalanges with their cartihiginous contuinations to the end of the flipper. 



On the under side of the flipper the skin is entirely bare, from its outer extremity up to the body connection ; 

 it is sensibly tougher and thicker than elsewhere on the body ; it is deejdj- and regularly wrinkled with seams and 

 fdirows, which cross one another so hs to leave a kind of sharp diamond-cut pattern. When they are placed by the 

 animal upon the smoothest rocks, shining and slippery from algoid growths and the sea-polish of restless waters, 

 thej' seldom fail to adhere. 



When we observe this seal moving out on the land, we notice that, though it handles its fore feet in a most 

 creditable manner, it brings up its rear in quite a ditterent style; for, after every second step ahead with the 

 anterior limbs, it will arch its spine, and in arching, it drags and lifts up, and together forward, the hind-feet, to 

 a fit position under its body, giving it in this manner fresh leverage for another movement forward by the lore- 

 feet, in which the spine is again straightened out, and then a fresh hitch is taken upon the posteriors once more, and 

 so on as the seal progresses. This is tbe leisurely and natural movement on land, when not disturbed, the body all 

 the time being carried clear of and never touciiiug the ground. IJut if the creature is frightened, this method of 

 progression is radically changed. It launches into a lope, and actually gallops so fast that the best powers of 

 a man in running are taxed to head it oQ". Still, it must be remembered that it cannot run far before it sinks 

 trembling, gasping, breathless, to the earth; thirty or forty yards of such speed marks the utmost limit of its 

 endurance. 



The radical difference in the form and action of the hind-feet cannot fail to strike the eye at once ; they are 

 one-seventh longer than the fore-hands, and very much lighter and more slender; they resemble, in broad terms, a 

 pair of black kid gloves, flattened out and shriveled, as they lie in their box. 



There is no suggestion of fingers on the fore-hands; but the hind feet seem to be toes run into ribbons, for they 

 litei-ally flap about involuntarily from that point, where the cartilaginous processes unite with the phalangeal bones. 

 The hind-feet are also merged in the body at their junction with it, like those anterior ; nothing can be seen of the 

 leg abo\e the tarsal joint. 



The shape of the hind-flipper is strikingly liUe that of a human foot, provided the latter were drawn out to a 

 length of 20 or 22 inches, the instep flattened down, and the toes run out into thin, membraneous, ovaltipi)ed points, 

 only skin thick, leaving three strong, cylindrical, grayish, horn-colored nails, half an inch long each, back six 

 inches from these skinny toe-ends, without any sign of nails to mention on the outer big and little toes. 



On the upper side of this hind-foot the body-hair comes down to that point where the metatarsus and phalangeal 

 bones join and fade out. From this junction the phalanges, about six inches down to the nails above mentioned, 

 are entirely bare, and stand ribbed up in bold relief on the membrane which unites them, as the web to a duck's 

 foot; the nails just referred to mark the ends of the phalangeal bones, and their union in turn with the 

 cartilaginous processes, which run rapidly tapering and flattening out to the ends of the thin toe-points. Now, as 

 we are looking at this fur-seal's motion and ])rogression, that which seems most odd, is the gingerly manner (if I 

 may be allowed to use the expression) in which it carries these hind-flippers; they are held out at right angles from 

 the body directly opposite the pelvis, the toe-ends or flaps slightly waving, curled, and drooping over, supported 

 daintily, as it were, above the earth, the animal only suffering its weight behind to fall upon its heels, which are 

 themselves opposed to each other, scarcely five inches apart. 



We shall, as we see this seal again later in the season, have to notice a different mode of progression and 

 bearing, both when it is lording over its harem, or when it grows shy and restless it the end of the breeding season, 

 then faint, emaciated, and dejected; but we will now proceed to observe him in the order of his arrival and that of 

 his family. His behavior during the long period of fasting and unceasing activity and vigilance, and other cares 

 which devolve upon him as the most eminent of all polygamists in the brute world, I shall carefully relate; and to 

 fully comi)rehend the method of this exceedingly interesting aiiinni!, it will be Irecjuently necessary for the reader 

 to refer to my sketchmai)s of its breeding-grounds or rookeries, and the islands. 



Arrival at tue seal- grounds : Coming in of the bulls. — The adult males are the first examples of 

 the CnUorhinns to arrive in the spring on the .se.al-ground, which has been deserted by all of them since the close 

 of the preceding year. 



Between the 1st and 5tli of May, usually, a few males will be found scattered over the rookeries, pretty close to 

 the water. They are, at this time, quite shy and sensitive, seeming not yet satisfied with the land ; and a great many 



