THE FIN-FOOTED MAMMALS 113 



and sea-lions are well worth knowing; for, sooner or later, 

 travel surely will bring him into visual contact with many of 

 them, either in museums, zoological gardens, or alive in their 

 haunts. Let us, then, lay the foundation for a profitable 

 acquaintance with them. 



By some writers, these animals are classed with the Ferae, 

 because they eat flesh ; but to associate in the same Order such 

 widely different creatures as sea-lions and cats seems incon- 

 gruous, if not incorrect. 



The Order Pinnipedia^ contains three groups of seafaring 

 animals, distributed widely through the ocean waters of the 

 world, and, in some instances, in fresh water also. They are 

 the Sea-Lions, Seals, and Walruses. 



A Sea-Lion has a long, supple neck, and long, triangular 

 front flippers that have neither hair nor claws, but are sim- 

 ply living paddles. Their hind limbs are web-toed flippers. 

 They have very small, sharp-pointed ears, carry their heads 

 high, and all are lively, active animals, both in swimming and 

 in climbing rocks. The males of some species grow to enor- 

 mous size, and have faces so lion-like in appearance that this 

 resemblance has given the group its popular name, — Sea-Lion. 



A Seal is a short-necked, fat-bodied, low-lying, clumsy 

 animal, not nearly so active on land or so intelligent as a 

 Sea-Lion. Its front flippers are short, square-ended, fully 

 covered with hair, and provided with claws. They have no ex- 

 ternal ears of skin and cartilage. Their hair is short, close, and 

 stiff, and of no value as fur save to the Eskimo, to whom every 

 Seal is a godsend, and is utihzed in a great variety of ways. 



' Pin-ni-pe'di-a means "fin-footed." 



