38 
a gait somewhat like the canter of a horse ; they climb rocks 
easily and throw themselves from a height of ten or fifteen feet 
into the water or on the rocks without damage, — their tough 
skins and a layer of fat several inches thick, which lies imme- 
diately beneath, protecting them from injury. They are rep- 
resentatives of the family of Eared Seals {OtaridcB), all of 
which are of large size and are readily distinguished by the 
possession of an external ear, which is never more than an 
inch and a half long and is rolled tightly in the shape of a 
cone. There are seven or eight species of these seals, all being 
confined to the Pacific Ocean, where they range from the 
Arctic to the Antarctic regions, one species only being some- 
times found up the Atlantic coast of South America as far as 
Brazil. The Fur Seals belong to this group; the undercoat 
of fur being very soft and thick in them and supplying the 
seal-skin of commerce. 
The Seals now in the Garden were captured when quite 
young, in July, 1877, and were placed in the Garden in the 
following month ; they have not yet obtained their full size, 
but are growing rapidly and promise well for future develop- 
ment. When fully adult the males are seven or eight feet 
long and weigh from five to six hundred pounds ; the females 
weighing not over a fourth as much. 
No. 10.— THE DEER HOUSE. 
This building was completed in the spring of 1877, from 
the plans of George W. Hewitt, Esq., and affords accommo- 
dation at present for a somewhat varied assortment of herb- 
ivorus animals. 
Here will be found the Yak {Bison grunniens ) ; in a wild 
state native to the high mountain ranges and plateaus of 
Thibet and Tartary. There are several domestic breeds of the 
Yak used all over Central Asia for purposes of draught and 
burden. The long hair is used in the manufacture of various 
fabrics and the tails are much prized by the Tartars and Chi- 
nese, constituting among the former an insignia of rank when 
attached to the head of a lance ; by the Chinese they are 
dyed of various colors and used as fly-flappers. 
The Wild Yak is a somewhat sullen and ill-tempered brute, 
and can use its long horns sideways with great effect. 
