THE SEAL. 
243 
The usual length of the common seal is five 
or six feet. It has a large round head, with 
several long bristles on each side of the 
mouth, large eyes, no external ears, and a 
forked tongue. The neck is short, and the 
body tapers from the shoulder to the tail, 
which is also very short. The legs are ex- 
tremely short, the hinder being placed so far 
back as to be of little use, except in swim- 
ming ; and all the feet are webbed. The toes, 
of which there are five on each foot, are armed 
with strong sharp claws, that enable it to 
climb the rocks among which it dwells. The 
seal is covered with short, smooth hair, varying 
in colour, being sometimes gray, sometimes 
brown or blackish, and occasionally spotted 
with white and yellow. 
Seals select for their habitations caverns in 
the rocks, out of reach of the tide. They are 
excellent swimmers ; they will dive like a 
shot, and rise again in a trice at the distance 
