PHO 
Didynamia Gymnospemiia class and order. 
■Natural order of Verticillatae or Labiatae. 
Essential character : calyx angular j corolla 
upper lip incumbent, compressed, villose. 
There are twenty-two species. 
PHLOX, in botany, a genus of the Pen- 
tandria Monogynia class and order. Natu- 
ral order of Rotace®. Polcmonia, Jussieu. 
Essential character ; corolla salver-shaped ; 
filaments unequal ; stigma trifid ; calyx 
prismatical ; capsule three-celled, dne-seed- 
ed. There are twelve species, natives of 
North America. 
PHOCA, the seal, in natural history, a 
genus of Mammalia of- the order Ferse. 
Generic character : fore teeth, in the up- 
per jaw, six, sharp, parallel, and the exte- 
rior ones larger; in the lower jaw four, 
distinct, parallel, equal, and rather blunt; 
tusks one on each side in both jaws, large 
and pointed, the upper remote from the 
fore teeth, the lower from the grinders ; 
grinders five on each side above, and six 
below, tricuspidated. There are nineteen 
species, of which we shall notice the fol- 
lowing ; 
P. vitnlina, or the common seal, or sea- 
calf. These animals are found on the 
coasts of the polar regions, both to tlie 
north and south, often in extreme abun- 
dance, and are generally about five feet in 
length, closely covered with short hair. 
They swim with great vigour and rapidity, 
and sulrsist on various kinds of fish, which 
they are often observed to pursue within a 
short distance from the shore. They pos- 
sess no inconsiderable sagacity, and may, 
without much difficulty, if taken young, be 
familiarized to their keepers, and instructed 
in various gesticulations. They are sup- 
posed to attain great longevity. The fe- 
male is particularly attentive to her young, 
and scarcely ever produces more than two 
at a birth, which, after being suckled a 
fortnight on the shore, where they are al- 
ways born, are conducted to the water, 
and taught by their dam the. means of de- 
fence and subsistence ; and wiien they are 
fatigued by their excursions, are relieved 
by being taken on her back. They distin- 
guish her voice, and attend at her call. 
The flesh of seals is sometimes eaten, but 
they are almost always destroyed for their 
oil and skins. The latter are manufactured 
into very valuable leather, and the former 
is serviceable in a vast variety of manufac- 
tures. A young seal will supply about 
eight gallons of oil. The smell of these 
animals, in any great number upon the. 
PHO 
shore, is highly disagreeable. In the month 
of October they are generally considered as 
most valuable, and as they abound in ex- 
tended caverns on the coast, which are 
washed by the tide, the hunters proceed to 
these retreats about midnight, advancing 
with their boat as far into the recess as they 
are able, armed with spears and bludgeons, 
and furnished with torches, to enable them 
to explore the cavern. They begin their 
operations by making the most violent 
noises, which soon rouse the seals from 
their slumbers, and awaken them to a 
sense of extreme danger, which they ex- 
press by the most hideous yellings of ter- 
ror. In their eagerness to escape they 
come down from all parts of tlie cavern, 
rushing in a promiscuous and turbulent 
mass along the avenue to the water. I'he 
men engaged in this perilous adventure op- 
pose no impediment to this rushing crowd, 
but as this begins to diminish, apply their 
weapons with great activity and success, 
destroying vast numbers, and principally 
the young ones. The blow of the hunter 
is always levelled at the nose of the seal, 
w'here a slight stroke is almost instantly 
fatal. 
P. ursina, or the ursine seal, grows to 
the length of eight feet, and to the weight 
of a hundred pounds. These are found in 
vast abundance in the islands between Ame- 
rica and Kamtschatka, from June till Sep- 
tember, when they return to the Asiatic or 
American shores. They are extremely 
strong, surviving wounds and lacerations 
which almost instantly destroy life in other 
animals, for days, and even weeks. They 
may be observed, not merely by hundreds, 
but by thousands on the shore, each male 
surrounded by his females, from eight to 
fifty, and his offspring, amounting frequently 
to more than that number. Each family is 
preserved separate from every other. The 
tirsine seals arc extremely fht and indolent, 
and remain with little exercise, or even 
motion, for months together upon the 
shore. But if jealousy, to which they are 
ever alive, once strongly operate, they are 
roused to animation by all the fierceness of 
resentment and vengeance, and conflicts 
arising from this cause between individuals, 
soon spread through families, till at length 
the whole shore becomes a scene of the 
most horrid hostility and liavoc. When the 
conflict is finished, the survivors plunge 
into the water to wash off the blood, and 
recover from their exhaustion. Those which 
are old, and have lost the solace of coniiu- 
