igS THE LEONINE SEAL. 



Dog. The ears are conical and erect ; and along 

 the neck of the male runs a mane of stiff curled 

 hair. The whole neck is covered with long waved 

 hair, not unlike that of the Lion. The hair of the 

 other parts of the body is short and red : that of the 

 female yellowish. At a certain age they become 

 grey. The feet resemble those of the Ursine Seal. 

 The weight of a large male is about sixteen hundred 

 pounds ; and these are frequently from sixteen to 

 eighteen feet long, but the females seldom exceed 

 eight. 



Leonine Seals are found in great numbers on the' 

 eastern coasts of Kamtschatka. They do not mi- 

 grate ; but only change their place of residence, 

 having winter and summer stations. They live 

 principally among the rocks of the coast ; and by 

 their dreadful roaring, are frequently of use during 

 foggy weather, in warning sailors of the danger of 

 approaching in their direction. 



If a human being appears among them, they 

 immediately run off; and when disturbed in sleep, 

 they seem seized with horror, sigh deeply in their 

 attempts to escape, fall into the utmost confusion, 

 tumble down, and shake so violendy as scarcely 

 to be able to use their limbs. When, however, 

 they are reduced to an extremity, and find it impos- 

 sible to eliect an escape, they become desperate, 

 turn on their assailant with vast noise and fury, and 

 will even put the most courageous man to flight. — 

 When they find there is no intention to hurt them, 

 they lose their fear of mankind. Steller, when he 

 was on Bering's Island^ lived in a hovel surrounded 



