36 



Lake Baikal ; that is to Bay, in general terms, from Greenland eastward 

 into Eastern Siberia. This nearly circumpolar belt of occupation is 

 fully as extensive and infinitively more difficult to comprehend than the 

 extensive habitat I attribute to the Arctocephalus Talklandicus, and 

 would afford more reasonable grounds to the supporters of the theory 

 of limited location,' for the separation into species, if not into genera, 

 of the several examples of this familiar animal. 



The colour of the Common Seal, is on the upper portion of the body, 

 yellovcish-brown of various shades, but commonly dark, and frequently 

 mottled, or spotted over with darker : beneath much paler, yellowish- 

 white. The usual length is from four to six feet, but an aged male will 

 exceed these dimensions, and it has been known to weigh two hundred 

 and twenty-four pounds. 



Inhabits Greenland, the North Sea, the Baltic, the Caspian Sea, and 

 Lake Baikal. It is still found in considerable numbers on the English, 

 Scottish, and Irish Coasts. ^ 



To describe all of the ascertained habits of this seal in the state of 

 nature, or when semi-domesticated, would amount in many instances 

 simply to the repetition of anecdotes already given of other members 

 of the family ; but I will offer a few additional descriptive extracts of 

 manners and disposition, which, although derived exclusively from this 

 species, will tend materially towards perfecting our knowledge of a 

 group so wonderfully similar in every important feature of organization. 



Professor Trail relates that, " A young seal, about two and a half 

 feet long, would suck one's fingers readily, was greedily fondof milk, and 

 seemed a social animal. "When thrown into the sea, it speedily returned 

 to the shore, and made back for its favourite position, the kitchen hearth, 

 the stone of which was elevated about four inches above the floor, and 

 it generally laid itself so close to the embers of a peat fire burning 

 there, that it often singed its fur." ^ " One in particular became so 

 tame that he lay along the fire among the dogs, bathed in the sea, and 

 returned to the house : but having found his way to the byres', used 

 to steal there and suck the cows ; on this account he was discharged and 

 sent to his native element."* "During a residence of some years in 

 one of the Hebrides, I had many opportunities of witnessing this 

 peculiarity (partiality for musical and other sounds), and, in fact, could 

 call forth its manifestation at pleasure. In walking along the shore in 

 the calm of a summer afternoon, a few notes of my flute would bring 

 half a score of them within thirty or forty yards of me, and there they 

 would swim about, with their heads above water, like so many black 

 dogs, evidently delighted with the sounds. For half-an-bour, or indeed, 

 for any length of time I chose, I could fix them to the spot ; and when 



' " We now know that the species (Otariads) have a very limited geographical 

 distribution." Gray. Suppl. 1871, S. & W. p. 1. 

 ^ Naturalist's Library, p. 134. 

 ■* Syre, Scotch, a cow-house. 

 ■• Mr. L. Edraonstone. 



