NOTES ON THE ANATOMY OF A SEAL — SOMMERS. 155 



she fled from her cub; it seems probable no maternal duties had 

 bound it to her. Had Stephen Bradford, with his dirty gun, 

 met her in May, he would have been only too happy to have 

 escaped with his life instead of going to camp with her skin. 



In its production of young so comparatively small, and in its 

 privacy during parturition, our bear has an affinity to the 

 opossum, our sole North American marsupial, but without the 

 pouch ; and from these facts, as well as its hibernation, and its 

 capacity of sustaining life either as a vegetarian or a carnivora, 

 may justly be considered in its Polar or fishing variety one of 

 the first mammals that occupied this continent on rising from its 

 glacial submergence. The Polar variety, but few shades above 

 the walrus, might easily have sustained life for the few short 

 summer months on fish and seals, ere yet the emergence of rock 

 peaks, or swampy terraces ; and when a tardy vegetation was 

 clothing these plateaux, and before the herbiferous races ap- 

 peared, his descendants straying landward thrived upon this 

 vegetable diet, till these races appearing after their natural food 

 had grown for them, allowed him again to become a carnivora. 

 In this struggle of fish, vegetable and flesh life, his prolonged 

 torpidity, perhaps at first much more prolonged in arctic regions* 

 and destined as he advanced to warmer climates to cease, must 

 have been of wonderful use in his struggle for existence. — Com- 

 municated by the Author, Jan. 26, 1880. 



Art. V. — Notes on the Anatomy of a Seal from Magdalen 

 Islands. — By J. Sommers, M. D. 



{Read Feb. 9, 1880.) 



In bringing to your notice the following points on the anatomy 

 of a seal, I take occasion to express my sincere thanks to the 

 gentleman through whose kindness I have become indebted for 

 the opportunity to conduct an interesting investigation. 



The seal was sent from Magdalen Islands by J. B. F. Pain- 

 chaud, Esq., to Robert Morrow, Esq., who conjointly with myself 

 made the dissection. I wish also in this place, and feel that I 

 carry the members of the Institute with me to express the feel- 

 ing of regard that I entertain for the spirit which actuated our 



