504 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



The voice of the Seal is a sort of barking not unlike that 

 of a Dog, but much feebler. The Seals on which these 

 observations were made, barked usually of an evening, or 

 on change of weather. They exhibited anger by a sort of 

 hissing, resembling the swearing of a Cat. 



What has been said concerning the organs of the Phocse, 

 must be sufficient to leave little doubt concerning their im- 

 perfection, and were we to judge of the intelligence of these 

 animals from the facts now stated, we should not hesitate 

 to regard them as the most stupid and brutal of terrestrial 

 Mammalia. Those Seals, however, with members so im- 

 perfect, with senses so obtuse, are enabled, from their few 

 sensations, to derive results infinitely superior to those 

 obtained by animals, in appearance, the most felicitously 

 organized. An additional proof of the predominant in- 

 fluence of the brain in all that is intellectual. 



The animals on which these remarks were made, ex- 

 perienced no fear in the presence of men, or any other 

 animal. Nothing ever induced them to fly, except ap- 

 proaching so near as to excite in them the apprehension of 

 being trodden under foot, and even in this case they only 

 avoided the danger by removing to a little distance. 



One of them, indeed, would sometimes threaten with its 

 voice, and strike with its paw ; but it would never bite, 

 except in the last extremity. In taking their food, they 

 evinced a similar gentleness of character. Though very 

 voracious, they could behold it withdrawn from them with- 

 out fear or resistance. They would suffer the fish which 

 had been just given them to be taken away with impunity, 

 and some young Dogs, to which one of those Seals was 

 attached, would amuse themselves in snatching the fish 

 from his mouth which he was just ready to swallow, with- 

 out his testifying the least anger. When two Seals, how- 

 ever, were allowed to eat together, the usual result was a 



