ciafsi, seal; ^^ 



The natural hiftory of this animal, may be further 

 elucidated, by the following extrafts from a letter of 

 the reverend Dr. William Borlafi^ dated Ocfoher the 

 24th, 1763. 



' The feals are feen in the greateft plenty on the 



* fhores of Cornwall, in the months of May^ June^ 

 ^ and July. 



* They are of different fizes, fome as large as a 

 ^ moderate cow, and from that downwards to a fmall 

 ^ calf. 



' They feed on mod forts of fifli which they can 



* matter, and are feen fearching for their prey near 



* fhore i where the whirling fifii, wraws, and polacks 



* refort. 



' They are very fwift in their proper depth of 



' water, dive like a (hot, and in a trice rife at fifty 



^ yards diftance -, fo that weaker fifhes cannot avoid 



* their tyranny, except in fhallow water : a perfon of 



* the parilh of Sennan, faw not long fince a feal in- 



* purfuit of a mullet (that ftrong and fwift filh :) the 



* feal turned it to and fro' in deep water, as a gre- 



* hound does a hare : the mullet at laft found it had 

 ' no way to efcape, but by running into fhoal water: 



* the feal purfued ; and the former to get more furely 

 ' out of danger, threw itfelf on its fide, by which 

 ^ means it darted into Ihoaler water than it could 

 ' have fwam in with the depth of its paunch and fins, 

 ? and fo efcaped. 



* The feal brings her young about the beginning 

 ^ of autumn; our fifhermen have feen two lucking 

 ^ their dam at the fame time, as fhe flood in the fea 

 f in a perpendicular pofitiono 



' ' ' t Their 



