SEALS AND SEA LIONS 243 



go forward with queer little bumps, caused 

 by the muscles of his under body contracting, 

 which is not only a great effort, but very tir- 

 ing and exhausting to the animal. 



Toby is certainly the most remarkable seal 

 I have ever seen. He has traveled nearly all 

 over the world, even as far as Russia, where 

 some of the people believed he must surely 

 have an evil spirit to be able to do such won- 

 derful tricks and to understand what his 

 trainer told him. 



But since seeing Toby I have seen a sea 

 lion that does even more wonderful things 

 than Toby did. This is Wilmer, in the Bar- 

 num and Bailey Circus, the only sea lion in 

 the world that can ride on horseback. It is 

 truly marvelous to see this animal climb up a 

 ladder and mount his horse just as easily 

 as though it were natural to him. And not 

 only mount it, but keep his seat without the 

 slightest danger of falling off or even slip- 

 ping from the saddle. 



Round and round the ring he goes in an 

 easy canter, and when his trainer, Captain 



