SEALS. 491 



assembled there daily. It was taught by its keeper to perform 

 sundry small tricks, such, as bowing to the audience, and diving for 

 the articles thrown it, but its performances were of a very tame 

 character compared with those that have been witnessed since then. 



Seals seem to exhibit a strong hking for their keepers, and a 

 partiality for being kept in a tame state. There are several 

 accounts of specimens which have been kept on board of ships, or 

 by fishermen living near the coast, which have had perfect hberty 

 given them, but on their being thrown into the sea have invariably 

 returned, and followed their owner's boat and could in no way be 

 induced to keep the freedom given them. 



Mr. H. Maxwell, in " Wild Sports of the West," says, " In 

 January, 181 9, in the neighbourhood of Burntisland, a gentleman 

 completely succeeded in taming a seal ; its singularities attracted 

 the curiosity of strangers daily. It appeared to possess all the 

 sagacity of the dog, and lived in its master's house and eat from 

 his hand. In his fishing excursions this gentleman generally took 

 it with him, upon which occasions it afforded -no small entertain- 

 ment. When thrown into the water it would follow for miles the 

 track of the boat, and although thrust back with the oars, it never 

 relinquished its purpose ; indeed it struggled so hard to regain its 

 seat, that one would imagine its fondness for its master had en- 

 tirely overcome the natural predilection for its native element." 



Their intelligence, docility, and social disposition invite com- 

 parison with the similar traits of the dog, and certain writers have 

 expressed the opinion that their services could be employed for 

 some similar duties in the water to those in which dogs are 

 employed on the land. 



The so-called " Talking Fish " which were exhibited in England 

 some years ago, and seem to have astonished the British public, 

 were merely some seals that had been well instructed. 



That seals are capable of being trained and will display more 

 than ordinary animal intelligence were facts well known to the 

 ancients. Pliny in his Natural History states, " They are sus- 

 ceptible of training, and with their voice and by gesture can be 

 taught to salute the pubhc, and when called by their name they 

 answer with a discordant kind of grunt." 



