122 MAMMALIA. FER^l. Seal. 



Inhabits the fea coafts near Kamtfchatka, and in that latitude both in Afia and America, particu- 

 larly in Bering's Ifland ; is found alfo in New Zeland, Staten-land, New Georgia, and Falkland's 

 Iflands. — This fpecies fwims with great impetuofity ; is polygamous, one male living in family with 

 many females and their young ones, fometimes in one flock amounting to a hundred and twenty ; 

 copulates on fhore, the female lying on her back for the purpofe : It fcarcely fears the approach of 

 mankind, and will even bite a ftone, if thrown at it. The old males, which are deftitute of females, 

 and become very fat, live apart from the reft. Each animal has a particular ftone, which ferves 

 for its bed, and which it never deferts. The males are exceedingly fierce and quarrelfome, fight- 

 ing bitterly on account of their females, and for their particular ftations: Thefe battles are always 

 fingle combats, and fair play is preferved among them: When one is beaten another comes up to his 

 afliftance and takes his place, and fo on in fucceffion, never two againft one, until the whole flock of 

 a particular landing place gets involved in a general battle. When grieved, they fhed great floods 

 of tears. 



17 2 2 - Bottle-nofed Seal — 2. Phoca leonina. 2. 



Of a brown colour : The fore part of the head, or fnout, of the male, has a creft. or 

 long projection. Schreber, iii. 297. tab. lxxxiii. 



Sea-lion. .Anton's voy. tab. 100. Ellis's Hudfon's Bay, tab. 6. f. 4. Sm. Buff", vii. 347. — Sea- 

 wolf, Loup mar in. Pernetty, voy. ii. 40. t. 1 1. f. 1 — Bottle-nofed Seal. Penn. hift. of quad. n. 388. 



Inhabits the fhores towards the South Pole, the coaft of Chili, New Zeland, Juan Fernandez, 

 Falkland's Iflands, and New Georgia. — The male has a hairy projection at the bafe of the fnout, 

 which hangs five or fix inches below the lower jaw ; the upper part of this confifts of a loofe wrink- 

 led fkin, beginning on the fore-head, which the animal can blow up into the appearance of a creft, 

 whilft he eludes the blows of a cudgel. The female has a blunt nofe, which is tuberous or warty at 

 the root. The two fore-teeth, in the lower jaw, ftand out a little way from the mouth ; the eyes 

 are large ; and the mouth is furrounded with large coarfe whifkers, the briftles of which are white, 

 and furrounded with reddifh rings ; all the feet are webbed, having five toes both before and behind, 

 which are fumilhed with flat, oblong nails, fomewhat pointed at the extremities ; the hind feet are 

 much ftretched backwards, and fettered, forming a flat horizontal tail, like two great bifurcated, or 

 two-lobed, fins, the outermoft toe being thicker than the reft ; between the hind legs is a very fmall 

 tail, only two inches long. The animals of this fpecies fwim in great flocks, and the males fight def- 

 perately with each other on account of the females: When fleeping on fhore, they fet centinels round 

 the flock, to give alarm in cafe of danger. The male of this fpecies is often twenty feet long, and 

 fifteen feet in circumference; the female is only twelve feet long, and feven or eight feet round: 

 The fkin is very fhick, and is covered with dun or ruft coloured hair ; which, on the neck of the 

 male, is. a little longer than on the reft of the body: They are of a very lethargic difpofition, and 

 fond of wallowing in miry places, tumbling over- each other like fwine .; they fometimes grunt like 

 hogs, and at other times fnort like horfes ; are very lazy, fat, and inactive, feeding on fifh and fmall 

 Cials ; but grow very lean during the breeding feafon, at which time they abftain almoft entirely from 

 food for two months.. The flefh is eaten by failors, who, long confined to fait meat, think it is tole- 

 x*b!e beef.. 



