SEALS. 



EESIAEKS UPON' SEALS. 



Of these intelligent and easily-trained animals the 

 Society have of late been successful in obtaining several 

 important additions. In 1870 the collection contained five 

 species of this interesting family, consisting of the follow- 

 ing genera, Otaria, Phoca, and CystopJurra, which are repre- 

 sented by five species, viz. : — Otaria jubata, Cystoflwra 

 crisfata, Phoca fodida, Phoca vitulina, and Phoca green- 

 landica. 



People living in London and other large cities think 

 little of the large number of skins and enormous quantity 

 of oil that is brought to this country annually, and which 

 is obtained by the wholesale slaughter of these inofi'ensive 

 animals, and have no idea of the numbers that must perish 

 to supply the constant demand ; for this destruction is 

 carried on not only in the Northern but in the Southern 

 Ocean. It is in the latter that the much-prized far seals 

 are obtained in the greatest abundance from the different 

 species of Otaria, or eared seals, while most of the northern 

 seals are known as hair seals. Both of these forms are 

 represented in the Society's Gardens, but much difficulty 

 exists in the min ds of most people in distinguishing a hair 

 seal from a fur seal when ahve. The fact is that fur seals 

 are covered with hair similar to the covering of the other 

 kinds, but in the preparation of the skin the hairs are all 

 plucked out, just as the skins of swans are plucked of their 



161 M 



