CHAPTER VII. 



THE HABITS OF THE FUE-SEAL, ETC. 



The Seal-life on the Pkybilot Islands may be classed 

 under four beads, as follows, viz : 



The Fuk-Seal, {Gallorhinus tirsinus,) Kautickie of the Eus- 

 sians. 



The Sea-Lion, {Eumetopias stellerii,) See vitchle of the Eus- 

 sians. 



The Hair- Seai,, (PhocavituUna,)Nea,rh'pa]i of theEussians. 



The Walkus, [Bosmarus arctious',) Morsjee of the Eussians. 



Of the above, the hair-seal is the animal upon which pop- 

 ular and, indeed, scientific opinion is founded as to what a seal 

 appears like, and has in this way given to the people a false 

 idea of its relatives, above enumerated, and has made it exceed- 

 ingly difficult for the naturalist to correctly discriminate be- 

 tween them ; for, although it belongs to the same faojily, it 

 does not even have a generic affinity to those seals with which 

 it has been persistently confounded, viz, the fur-seal and sea- 

 lion, no more so than has the raccoon to the black or grizzly 

 bear, both being as nearly related to each other. 



A detailed desoiiption of this seal, Phoca vituKna, is quite 

 unnecessary, as species of the genus are common pets all over 

 the world where zoological gardens are established, and its 

 grotesquely stuffed skin is still more frequently to be met with. 



It differs, however, so completely in shape and habit from its 

 congeners on these islands, that it may be well, so as to pre- 

 serve a sharp line of distinction, to state that it seldom comes 

 up from the water more than a few rods, at the most, generally 

 resting at the margin of the surf-wash; it takes up no position 

 on land to hold and protect a harem, preferring the detached 

 water-worn rocks which occasionally project out a little above 

 the sea-level and are only wet entirely over by heavy storms; 

 and the animal when it is disturbed immediately goes to sea. 

 Upon these small spots of rocky, wet isolation from the main 

 island, and some secluded places on the north shore, the " nearh- 

 pah," as the natives call it, brings forth its young, which is a 



