THE SEAL. 103 



THE SEAL. 



IN THE ROYAL MENAGERY, TOWER OF LONDON. 



There exists a very close alliance between the seals and the morse tribe, most of them havino- the 

 same kind of elongated body and fin-like feet. In their upper jaw, the seals have six parallel and 

 sharp-pointed fore-teeth, the exterior ones of which are the largest, and in the lower jaw, four that 

 are also parallel, distinct, and equal. There is one canine tooth in each jaw, and five grinders above 

 and six below, all of which have three knobs or points. The usual length of these animals is five or 

 six feet. The head is large and round, of a bull-dog appearance ; the neck small and short, and on 

 each side of the mouth there are several strong bristles. From the shoulders, the body tapers to the 

 tail. The eyes are large and round, there are no external ears, and the tongue is cleft or forked at 

 the end. The legs are very short, and the hinder ones are placed so far back as to be of little use, 

 except in swimming. The feet are all webbed ; the tail is short ; the animals vary in colour, their 

 short, thick-set hair being sometimes grey, sometimes brown or blackish, and sometimes even spotted 

 with white and yellow. 



The seal is common on most of the rocky shores of Great Britain and Ireland, especially on the 

 northern coasts. In Wales, it frequents the coasts of Anglesea and Carnarvonshire. It preys entirely 

 on fish, and never molests the sea-fowl. It eats its food beneath the surface of the water, and when 

 it is devouring any very oily fish, the place is known by a certain smoothness of the waves immediately 

 above. 



The seal is an excellent swimmer and ready diver, and is very bold when in the sea, swimming very 

 carelessly about the boats. Its den, or lodgement, is in hollow rocks or caverns near the sea, but out 

 of the reach of the tide. In the summer it will come out of the water, to bask or sleep in the sun, on 

 the top of large stones or shivers of rocks, and that is the general opportunity which is taken of 

 shooting it. If it chance to escape, it hastens towards its proper element, flinging stones and dirt 

 behind it, as it scrambles along, at the same time expressing its fears by piteous moans : but if it 

 happen to be overtaken, it will make a vigorous defence with its feet and teeth, till it is killed. It is 

 extremely watchful, never sleeping long without moving. At intervals of about a minute or two, it 

 raises its head to see that it is not threatened with danger. Providence seems to have endowed it with 

 this property, because, being destitute of auricles, or external ears, it is consequently unable to hear 

 quickly, or from a great distance. 



The females produce two or more young ones at a birth. These, in northern climates, they deposit 

 in cavities of the ice, and the male makes a hole through the ice near them, for a speedy communication 

 with the water. In this they always plunge with their offspring, the moment they observe a hunter 

 approach, and at other times they descend into it spontaneously, in search of food. The manner in 

 which the male seals make these holes is astonishing ; neither their teeth nor their paws having any 

 share in the operation : it is performed, according to Mr. Acerbi, solely by their breath. When the 

 females come out of the sea, they bleat like sheep for their young; and though they often pass among 

 hundreds of other young ones before they come to their own, yet they will never allow any of the 

 strangers to suck them. About a fortnight after their birth they are taken out to sea, and instructed 

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