SEALS. 
21 
historic times. The Syrian Bear (Case 21). The Polar Bear 
(U. maritimus), Case 24, the largest of the family, an excellent 
swimmer, and wholly carnivorous, living on seals, which it captures 
by stalking, and on the carcases of large animals. The Grizzly 
Bear [U. ferox)^ Case 25, the most formidable beast of prey of North 
America, in Miocene times spread over the whole of Europe, but 
now restricted to the Bocky Mountains. The Spectacled Bear 
[U. ornatus), Case 26, an interesting species, found isolated from 
the others in the Andes of Peru, no representative of this family 
occurring in Central i\.merica. 
The Fin-footed Carnivores, or Carnivora Pinnipedia, con- 
sist of the Seals and their allies, and are distinguished by their limbs 
being developed into flippers, and adapted for locomotion in the 
water while they are almost useless on land, a modification fore- 
shadowed in the hind limbs of the Sea-Otter. They have very short 
tails, close fur, and large eyes, and have the power of closing their 
nostrils and ear-openings. They live for the greater part of the 
year in the sea, generally close to the shore, but at times wandering 
far from land, to which, however, they invariably resort during the 
breeding-season in order to bring forth their young. Their food 
consists almost entirely of fish, varied with crabs and cuttlefish, 
while the smaller species in their turn are preyed upon to a great 
extent by certain of the toothed Whales, such as the Killer ” 
[Orca gladiator) ; and an enormous number, both of the Eared and 
True Seals, are killed every year by the sealers for the sake of their 
valuable fur and oil. 
The Eared or Fur-Seals {Otarudc^) are distinguished from the 
remainder of the Order by possessing small external ears, and by 
being able to bend their hind feet forwards under their bodies and 
to use them for walking on land, showing in both respects a 
closer relationship to ordinary land animals than do the true Seals, 
in which the outer ear has been entirely lost, and the hind feet 
project straight backwards and are only used for swimming. 
The Eared Seals are exhibited in the Cases in the centre of the 
Gallery, and very fine male specimens of the Northern Sea- 
Lion [Otaria stelleri) and of the Southern [Otaria juhata) in 
a smaller separate case. Especially striking among these animals 
is the great difference in size between the male and female; 
