﻿416 Proceedings. 



fication. The specimens of tlie Pur Seal and tlie Sterrink which were in the 

 Museum served admii^ably to show the fact that the development of the organ 

 of heai-ing and of the limbs of seals are propoi'tional to one another. In the 

 Sterrink, or Sea Leopard, there was no external ear, while in the Fur Seal 

 that organ was quite conspicuous and fairly developed. It would be noted at 

 the same time that the limbs, especially the fore limbs, were much larger in 

 the specimens of the Fur Seal than in the Sterrink, although the latter was 

 by much the larger animal. The same rule was observable throughout all 

 divisions of the family. By the aid of its powerful fore limbs the Fur Seal 

 could raise the greater part of its body above the water, and its power of loco- 

 motion on land was very considerable. Thus the fully developed ear went 

 along with the increased capacity and necessity for using the sense of hearing. 

 He regretted that he had been unable to extend his paper so as to fiilfil the 

 promise of the title under which it had been announced — " On the Sea Bears 

 of the Southern Hemisphere." He had found it impossible to secure all the 

 evidence requii'ed to support some conclusions he had arrived at. He hoped, 

 at some future meeting, to present another paper, in which he would include 

 a sketch of the habits of the Eared Seals. He could offer nothing original on 

 that subject, but there were many points in the natural history of these 

 animals which he was sure would interest his fellow members. One of these 

 was their extraordinary capacity of going without food during the period at 

 which they visited the land for the purpose of breeding. No other known 

 mammals approached them in this respect. 



An animated conversation ensued, in which many members took part, 

 during which Mr. R. Gillies said that he woidd like to mention a circumstance 

 connected with the habits of the Seal, but that it partook so much of the 

 marvellous that he hesitated whether or not he should mention it. He must 

 not be understood as himself believing what he was going to relate, but it 

 could do no harm to tell what he had often heard related as a genuine fact, 

 and it might lead those who had the opportunity of observing the habits of 

 the animal either to confirm the accuracy of the statement or to refute it. 

 Often in such statements there was a groundwork of truth. Anyone who had 

 ever been about old whaling or sealing stations must have seen collections of 

 round smooth stones of various sizes, but mostly about the si^e of cannon balls, 

 lying on the beach. On asking any of the "old hands" what these are, you 

 will at once be told that they are "seals' ballast," and, on inquiring further, 

 what seals' ballast is, you will be gravely told that the Seal is a migratory 

 animal, and that when it is about to take a long journey it will trim itself 

 exactly to the pi'oper weight for long and easy locomotion through the water. 

 At such times it comes ashore, picks up one of those stones, swallows it, and 

 goes into the water again to try the effect. It dives and swims about, and if 



