Ch.IV. south AMERICA; 225 



the neck , then feizing it by the head, and putting 

 their fore-feet between the fldn and the hcfhy they 

 ftrip it entirely off, and then devour the carcafe. 



The largeil kind, as we have already obferved, 

 are, by the failors, called fea-lions, the hair of the 

 neck diftinguifhing them from the others, and has 

 fome refemblance to a mane, though not much 

 longer than that on the other parts of the animal ; 

 but as their whole body has a greater fimilarity to that 

 of the wolf, and being entirely like the other fpecies, 

 the name of fea-wolf, feems to be more proper than 

 that given them by the feamen. 



All thefe kinds of fea-wolves have fo tender a 

 fenfation at the extremity of their noftrils, that though 

 they will bear many wounds in other parts of the body, 

 the flighted ftroke on this difpatches them ; and that 

 they are fenfible of it, is evident from their making 

 it their chief care to defend that part from any violence. 



A GREAT Angularity is alfo obfervabie in the dogs 

 of this ifland, namely, that they never bark. We 

 caught fome of them, and brought them on board ; 

 but they never made any noife till joined v/ith fome 

 tame dogs, and then indeed they began to imitate 

 them, but in a flrange manner, as if learning a thing 

 not natural to them. 



The iflands of Juan Fernandes abound greatly in 

 fifh ; among which are two fpecies, not obferved m 

 any other part of this vaft fea. One is the cod, which, 

 though not abfolutely like that of Newfoundland, the 

 difference is very minute, either v/iih regard to co- 

 lour, form, tafte, and even the fmall fcaies obfervabie 

 on that fifn. They are of different fizes, but the 

 largefl: three or four feet in length. 



The other fpecies is a fifh refembling the tollo in 

 fhape, but much more palatable. From the fore 

 p,art of each of the two fins on its back, grows a 

 kind of triangular fpur, a little bent, but round near 

 the back, and terminating in a point. It has a fine 

 glofs, and the hardncfs of a bone. At the root of ic 



Vol. II. 



