SEA 
phibious animal; fuch as, it's vomiting fife when 
enraged, and bleeding itfelf when diftempered. 
The Romans tifed to exhibit the Sea-Horfe in 
their (hews of wild beads; and the defcription 
Pliny gave of it from this fource, was all that the 
world knew of it for feveral ages. 
Skeletons of thefe animals are frequently found 
at great depths in the earth, but feldom in a re- 
<:ent ftate. 
Sea-Horse is alfo a name fometimes given to 
the river-horfc, or hippopotamus. 
SEA-LEECH. See Hirudella Marina. 
SEA-LION ; the Phoca Leonina of Linnaeus. 
A fpecies of feal inhabiting the feas about New 
Zealand, Juan Fernandez, and New Georgia. 
Thefe animals are gregarious; bring forth two 
young at a time; and are extremely fierce when 
on the defenfive. One of them will fometimes 
yield a whole butt of oil; and their flelh, which 
refembles coarfe beef, is faid to be wholefome. 
See Seal, Leonine. 
SEA-LOUSE. An appellation by which 
fome authors exprefs the Molucca crab. 
SEA-LUNGS. An Englifh appellation for a 
fpecies of m.edufa. 
SEA MAN. A name fometimes ufed to ex- 
prefs that ftrange creature more ufually denomi- 
nated merman and mermaid. With refpeft to 
the exiftence of this animal, a variety of opinions 
have been adduced; fome contending for it's 
reality; and others ridiculing the very idea of it's 
being. The works of nature are often too intri- 
cate for our refearches; and though credulity be a 
proof of a weak mind, fcepticifm is a quality of a 
bad one. On fuch fubjedls therefore it certainly 
becomes impartial naturalifts to ftate contending 
arguments ; and to leave the decifion to time, the 
fureft teft of truth. See Mermaid. 
SEA-MOUSE. An Englifh appellation for 
the aphrodita. 
SEA-OTTER, See Otter. 
SEA-OWL. A name by which fome natura- 
lifts exprefs the lump-fifti^ the cyclopterus of Ar- 
tedi. 
SEA-PEARCH. See Pearch. 
SEA-PHEASANT. An appellation by which 
fome ornithologifts exprefs a bird of the duck 
kind ; which differs from all others of that genus, 
in having two long tail-feathers extending a con- 
iiderable way beyond the reft, and terminating in 
a point: hence it has alfo received the name of 
the pin-tail duck. See Duck, Pin-tail. 
SEA-PYE. See Pica Marina. 
SEA-SCORPION. See Fatherlasher. 
SEA- SWALLOW. A name fometimes given 
to a bird of the larus kind ; called alfo fterna. It 
is common on the Britifh coafts. 
SEAL. A genus of pinnated quadrupeds, with 
cutting and two canine teeth in each jaw; five 
palmated toes on each foot; and a body thick at 
the fhoulders, and tapering towards the tail. 
The Seal refembles a quadruped in fome re- 
fpe^ts, and a fifti in others. The head is round ; 
and the nofe, which is broad, reprefents that of an 
otter. It has large whifkers, oblong noftrils, and 
great black fparkling eyes. The tongue is bifid ; 
and in the upper jaw there are fix cutting-teeth, 
and four in the lower. It has no external ears; 
but two holes, wliich anfwer the fame end. The 
neck is of a moderate length, and well-propor- 
tioned. The body is thickeft at the jundlion of the 
neck, (from whence the animal tapers down to the 
tail, becoming gradually fmaller like a filh) and 
SEA 
is covered with thick briftly fhining hair of various 
colours, fometimes dufky, at others brindled, and 
fometimes fpotted with white or yellow. 
In moft of the above particulars the Seal re- 
fembles the quadruped kind : but it greatly dif- 
fers from all of them with refpeft to it's feet ; for, 
though furniftied with the fame namber of bones 
as in quadrupeds, they are united to the body in 
fuch a fingular manner, and fo covered with a 
membrane, that they would rather refemble fins 
than feet, did not the fliarp ftrong claws with 
which they are pointed ihew their proper analogy. 
The fore feet, or rather hands, are covered with a 
thick hairy fl<:in, which, like a fin, afllfts the crea- 
ture infwimming; and the hind feet are extended 
on each fide of the fhort tail, and covered alfo 
with a Ikin; both being almoft united at the 
tail. 
The ufual length of the common Seal now un- 
der confideration is about five or fix feet, though 
fome have been known to exceed eight: and, with 
regard to the formation of it's tongue, it differs 
from every other quadruped, being forked at the 
extremity like that of a ferpent. 
Thefe animals are found in almoft every quarter 
of the globe, but in greateft numbers towards the 
north and fouth. They fwarm near the Ardic cir- 
cle, and the lower parts of South America, in both 
oceans. They are met with in the Cafpian Sea : and 
alfo in the lakes Aral and Baikal, whofe waters are 
frefli ; in the laft of which they pofTefs the remark- 
able peculiarity of being covered with filvery hairs. 
Seals generally inhabit the water, and feed on 
whatever fifh they can catch. But though they 
frequently remain under water for feveral mi- 
nutes, they cannot, like the finny tribe, continue 
there any confiderable time; for Seals may be 
drowned as eafily as many terreftrial animals. Be- 
ing aukwardly formed for going on land, they fel- 
dom venture at any great diftance from the fhore, 
but ufually bafk on the rocks; and, when di- 
fturbed, plunge immediately to the bottom of the 
water. The hind feet of the Seal being turned 
backwards, are confequently entirely ufelefs on 
the land ; and, when the creature moves, it drags 
itfelf forward like a reptile, apparently with greac 
pain and exertion : for this purpofe it ufes it's fore- 
feet, which, though exceedingly ftiort, enable it 
to move with fo much celerity, that for a fhort 
fpace a man cannot eafily overtake it; and it con- 
ftantly makes towards the fea. 
On the Iliores of the north and icy feas, where 
the inhabitants are few, and marine animals of all 
kinds numiCrous, Seals may be feen balking by 
thoufands on the rocks, and fuckling their young. 
Like other gregarious animals, they keep a cen- 
tinel on the watch; and, on the flighteft alarm, 
inftantly plunge into the deep. 
It is remarkable that Seals generally forfake 
the fea during ftorms and tempefts ; and that, when 
all other creatures feek a refuge from the fury of 
the jarring elements, thefe appear in vaft troops 
fporting along the fhore, and apparently enjoying 
a favage kind of pleafure from the conflict of 
winds and waves. But probably the fea is at that 
time too turbulent for their refidence; and they 
come on fhore becaufe unable to endure the fhock 
of their more natural element. 
Seals are animals of pafTage, and perhaps the 
only four-footed ones which migrate from one 
part of the world to another. Quadrupeds are 
in general contented with their native plains and 
forefts ; feldom wandering far from thofe fitua- 
tions 
