THE SEAL. 155 



in herds of many hundreds upon the ice, huddling over one 

 another, like swine; and roar or bray so very loud, that in 

 the night, or in foggy weather, they gave us notice of the 

 ice, before we could see it We never found the whole herd 

 asleep, some being always upon the watch. These, on the 

 approach of the boat, would awake those next to them; and 

 the alarm being thus gradually communicated, the whole herd 

 would be awake presently. But they were seldom in a hurry 

 to get away, till after they had been once fired at. They 

 then would tumble over one another into the sea, in the 

 utmost confusion; and, if we did not, at the first discharge, 

 kill those we fired at, we generally lost them, though mortally 

 wounded. They did not appear to us to be that dangerous 

 animal which some authors have described, not even when 

 attacked. They are more so in appearance than reality. 

 Vast numbers of them would follow, and come close up to 

 the oars ; but the flash of the musket in the pan, or even the 

 bare pointing of one at them, would send them down in an 

 instant. The female will defend her young to the very last, 

 at the expense of her own life, whether in the water or upon 

 the ice. Nor will the young one qviit the dam, though she 

 be dead; so that, if one is killed, the other is certain prey. 

 The dam, when in the water, holds the young one between 

 her fore arms." 



The Common The True Seals are divided by Dr. Gray into 

 Seal. thirteen genera with eighteen species, of which 

 the Common Seal, the Ringed Seal, the Harp Seal, the Grey 

 Seal, the Sea Leopard, the Sea Elephant, and the Bladder- 

 nose Hooded Seal are the best known. The common seal 

 has a round head which in front bears some resemblance to 

 that of the otter. Its average length is about five feet and 

 its general colour of a yellowish gray, varied or spotted with 

 brown or blackish in different degrees, according to the age 

 of the animal. The Common Seal frequents the sea-coasts 

 perhaps throughout the world, but is most numerous in high 



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