60 
VOYAGE TO GREENLAND. 
life, by endeavouring to bite every one that ap- 
proached it. 
These animals are the Phoca mtulina of Linnaeus : 
in the scale of nature they are intermediate between 
amphibious animals and perfect fish, but partake 
more of the latter than of the former ; as Buffon 
remarks, they are the only animals that have the 
foramen ovale open, and that can therefore live with- 
out respiring : and to whom water is as proper and 
suitable an element as air.” The Phoca vitulina has 
a large flat head ; a short nose, like a pug dog ; 
strong and sharp teeth ; no external appearance of 
ears, but merely an aperture to convey the sound ; 
eyes small, and of a haggard appearance : neck 
short, and thickening as it approaches the shoul- 
ders, which are the largest part of the animal. 
Hence the body regularly tapers in a cylindrical 
form to the extremity, where are placed the hind 
legs, between which is a very short tail : the fore 
paws or flippers consist of five fingers, joined to- 
gether by a membrane, and ending in sharp and 
strong claws: the hind paws are like them, except 
