PhOCIDjE.- 



-MAMMALIA.- 



-PHOCID^. 



125 



earliest times it lias been tamed and taught to perform 

 a number of tricks, and to utter certain responsive 

 sounds, when spoken to by its master. A seal thus 

 instnicted bas been exhibiting in London, under the 

 title of the " talking and performing fish ;" its so-called 

 wonderful performances, however, as might be expected, 

 do not equal the absurdities of a puffing and exagger- 

 ating advertisement. Mr. Low, in his " Fauna Orca- 

 densis," observes, that in the wild state, " seals seem 

 to have a great deal of curiosity ; if people are passing 

 in boats, they often come quite close up to the boat, 

 and stare at them, following for a long time together ; 

 if people are speaking loud, they seem to wonder what 

 may be the matter. The church of Hoy, in Orkney, 

 is situated in a small sandy bay, much frequented by 

 those creatures ; and I observed, when the bell rang 

 for divine service, all the seals within hearing swam 

 directly to the shore, and kept looking about tliem, as 

 if surprised rather than frightened, and in this man- 

 ner continued to wonder as long as the bell rung." 

 Their powers of hearing are remarkably acute, as we 

 liave recently verified by speaking softly to the active 

 little seal at present living in the Zoological Society's 

 Gardens, Regent's Park ; even while the animal is 

 under water, the very faintest whisper of its name — 

 ■'Jenny" — does not fail to eUcit immediate attention 

 :ind expectancy. Li high northern latitudes the seal 

 ia of the gi-eatest economic value. To the Grcenlanders 

 it aflbrds an almost exclusive means of subsistence — 

 supplying, as it does, food for the inner man, clothing 

 for the outer man, and light for their ill-furnished 

 dwellings. The seal is also an important article of 

 commerce. A full-grown specimen of this species, if 

 taken in spring, will yield from four to five gallons of 

 oil, while some of the larger kinds will supply con- 

 siderably more than double that quantity. If extracted 

 while fresh, the oil is beautifully clear and transparent, 

 inodorous, and of a rather pleasant taste. The skin is 

 either prepared with the fur, or tanned to make 

 leather; in either case it is in great demand for making 

 shoos, caps, and other articles of clothing. 



THE HAEP SEAL {P/ioca Granlandica) is, as its 

 specific name implies, found very abumlant on the ice- 

 bound shores of Greenland, being also an inhabitant of 

 Iceland, and the northern coasts generally, from New- 

 foundlanil along the borders of the Frozen Ocean, as 

 far as the sea of Kamtschatka It is also occasionally 

 transported southward to the western shores of our 

 own sea-girt islands. The fur presents a greyish-white 

 colour, the back being marked by a blackish horseshoe- 

 shaped band, arching backwards from the region of the 

 shoulder to within a few inches of the root of its stumpy 

 tail. This band is broad at the sides, while its outline 

 is very irregular ; the anterior half of the head exhibits 

 the same deep brownish-black colour, imparting to the 

 physiognomy a very peculiar look. The molar teeth 

 do not overlap each other, but they leave slight inter- 

 spaces between their several ends. In regard to the 

 habits of this species, Fabricius states that they leave 

 the coasts of Greenland twice a-year, namely, in March 

 and July, revisiting their haunts in May and Septem- 

 ber. Their food consists of molluscs and fish, especially 

 salmon. Being stupid and incautious, they fall an easy 



prey to the seal-hunters ; their fur is much valued, and 

 is less woolly than that of the common species. The 

 finnale produces one, or rarely two, cubs at a birth ; tho 

 skins being either white or cream-coloured. These 

 seals have a tendency to congi'egate and herd togethei 

 on floating masses of ice at a considerable distance 

 from the shore, under the leadership of one of thcii 

 number. 



THE MAHBLED SEAL {Phoca anmdala) inhabits 

 the coasts of France, and was supposed by Frederick 

 Cuvier to be only a variety of the common species. 

 Professor Nilsson of Copenhagen, however, has deter- 

 mined otherwise. At one time it was believed that 

 tins species bad been taken on our own coasts, but the 

 impression appears to have been erroneous ; it is ccr- 

 tairJy not improbable tliat it should find its way thus 

 far northward. The body is about as large as that of 

 Phoca vituliiia, but it is at once distinguished from it, 

 by the pecidiar marbled colour of the fur. A very 

 lively specimen of the Marbled seal, formerly kept in 

 the Jardin des Plantes, aSbrded the Parisian and other 

 visitors much amusement. Two little dogs were housed 

 with it, and the trio lived on excellent terms ; the seal 

 allowing them to take fish out of its mouth while eat- 

 ing, and submitting to many other indignities. 



THE GREAT SEAL {Phoca harlata) is occasionally 

 found on the northern shores of Scotland ; and, accord- 

 ing to Mr. Selbj', it is an mbabitant of the Earn and 

 Staple islands, o3' the coast of Northumberland. The 

 body of a full-grow^l species measures as much as ten, 

 twelve, or even fourteen feet in length, and weighs 

 upwards of forty -five stone. The head is comparatively 

 long, and much arched in front ; the eyes are large, the 

 auditory opening being also capacious. The fore-feet 

 have the central toe longest, the outermost on either 

 side being comparatively short. In the adult animal 

 the fur presents a deep brownish-black colour, but in 

 the j'oung state it is of light-greenish hue. The female 

 is provided with four teats, and Mr. Selby states that 

 it " calves in the month of November upon several of 

 the outer rocks, where the young are suckled every 

 tide for the space of fourteen or fifteen days, when the 

 long woolly fur which at first clothed them is cast, and 

 a new covering of close short hair supersedes it ; they 

 are then conducted by the dam to the water, from 

 whence they only emerge at intervals." 



THE GEEY SEAL {Ilalichariis gryphus) is also nn 

 inhabitant of the British coasts, being especially abun- 

 dant on the Irish shores. Professor Nilsson — an 

 excellent authority — states that those living in the 

 Baltic have solitaiy habits ; but, in the neighbomliood 

 of Cork and Waterford, Dr. Ball found them gregarious 

 in small numbers. The Grey seal is also a native of 

 the northern coasts of Europe, and is called the Utschir 

 by the Icelanders. Zoologically speaking, it is a species 

 of very great interest, because its structural characters, 

 in some particulars at least, approach very closely 

 those of the walrus ; Dr. Gray, indeed, considers it 

 entitled to be regarded as a member of the family 

 which that peculiar form represents. Be that as it 

 may, tho canines are present in the lower jaw, while 

 tliose of the upper are not prolonged into tusks — 

 features which sufficient!}' distinguish the Phocidie 



