494 WILD ANIMALS. 



CHAPTER XXX. 



EAKED-SEALS (OTARIA). 



The eared-seals (Otaria) hare been divided and subdivided so 

 often that it is almost impossible to state correctly how many 

 absolutely distinct species really do exist. So many names have 

 been given to each variety by certain naturalists who are the 

 victims of a species-mania, and upon discovering the slightest 

 individual variation in size, colour, or equally unimportant differ- 

 ences between the animals, have thought it incumbent upon them 

 to confer some new and barbarous name upon the creature, and 

 advertise the christening far and wide, that great confusion now 

 prevails. 



Mr. Allen is only able to recognize nine species of these animals, 

 and two of these he even considers doubtful. These he classifies 

 into two groups, for, as he says, they are obviously divisible by 

 the character of their pelage. Of these, five are therefore called 

 Hair-Seals or Sea-Lions, for they have no under-fur ; and four, 

 Fur-Seals or Sea-Bears, which are smaller animals and have an 

 abundant soft, silky under-fur from which the famous sealskin is 

 produced, after the coarse stiff hairs are plucked therefrom, and 

 the skin dyed the attractive and uniform rufous tint noticeable in 

 the manufactured article. The skins of the females and younger 

 males are therefore of great value commercially. 



These two distinct varieties have nearly an equal geographical 

 distribution, and are commonly found frequenting the same shores, 

 but generally living apart. Both species are about equally dis- 

 tributed over the temperate and colder latitudes on both sides 

 of the equator, but strange to say none of them are found in 

 the waters of the North Atlantic. 



