THE LEONINE SEAL. 107 



or resisting. A sailor was, however, one day, care- 

 lessly employed in skinning one of the young ; when 

 the female from w horn he had taken it, came upon 

 him unperccived, and getting his head into her 

 mouth, tore his skull so dreadfully, that he died in 

 a few days afterwards. 



It has been observed, that each herd places at a, 

 distant some of the males as sentinels, who never 

 fail to give the alarm if any thing hostile approaches. 

 The noise they make for this purpose is very loud, and 

 may be heard at a considerable distance. Their usual 

 voice is a kind of loud grunting ; or sometimes a 

 snorting, like horses in full vigour. The females 

 produce two young ones in the winter, which they 

 suckle for some time. These, when first brought 

 forth are about the size of a full grown Common 

 Seal. 



Lord Anson's people killed many of them, in the 

 island of Juan Fernandez, for food. They called 

 their flesh beef; to distinguish it from that of the 

 common Seal, which they denominated Ia»/L The 

 hearts and tongues were excellent eating ; and, as 

 they thought, preferable even to those of the Ox *. 



THE LEONINE SEAL .'|~, 



The Leonine Seal has the head and eyes large. 

 The nose turns up, somev;hat like that of a Pug 



♦ Anson, 17'2 — 17.'>. 

 t Synonyms. — Phoca .lubata- Liinia'us. — Sca-Iion. Cook. Fonifr. 

 Leonine Seal. P*.'/tn. — S/uru's Gm. Z'uoL pi. 74. — Biin. Huud. 47!3. 



O 3 



