Ixvi 
Pinnipedia. MAMMALIA. Pinnipedia. 
wliicli being contracted are, at the moment ot pro- 
gression, suddenly elongated, which results in a jerk 
or j)ush forwards. Tlie whole action is seemingly 
laborious, and is exceedingly uncouth. All forms of 
the rinnipeds are voracious to a great extent, spend- 
ing a large portion of their time in securing food ; 
the remainder is passed in basking in the sun or 
slee])ing. Virgil has it : 
“ Steruunt se soruno diversai in littore Phocas.” 
During warm days of sunshine, Seals are often killed 
while sleeping, though it is recorded that they 
habitually '‘sleep and wake alternately about every 
180 seconds.” It is said by many observers that, 
while a herd of Seals lies at rest, sleeping, sentinels 
remain on guard ; and, curiously enough, these sen- 
tinels in many instances are females. Notwith- 
standing the apparent solidity of the Seal, observers, 
as old Seal-hunters, assert that it often sleeps while 
lying on its back on the surface ot the sea. Fabri- 
cius and other naturalists mention this as fact. In 
one instance, a steamer ran directly against one be- 
fore it awakened. A singular tenderness is noticed 
in the nose of these creatures, and, in the Seal-fish- 
ery, it is taken advantage of. A light blow on this 
organ disables them ; and this allows the fisherman 
to procure a large number before they can get to 
their holes and disappear, as they do not recover 
([uickly. The cranium of the Seal is much thinner 
than that of other Carnivora, and the nasal bones 
are quite delicate in structure, which may account 
for the peculiar vulnerability of this point. Even 
the ancients knew of this fact; a passage in Opinan 
alludes to it — “Non hami penetrant pliocas," etc. 
The voice of the Seal is something between the 
cry of a young child and the bleating of a lamb or 
kid. There were a dozen or more wild Seals {Flwca 
Vitalina) brought to the New York Aquarium in 
the winter of 1877. The keeper, I noticed, handled 
them very familiarly, yet, while doing so, they snarled 
and seized the stall which he held with a good deal 
of savageness, and kept up a sort of growling which 
very closely resembled the voice of a cross dog under 
such circumstances. Seals are said to be fond of 
music, and it is also credited that Seal-fishers take 
advantage of this fact to entice them within reach of 
their weapons. JMr. R. Drown, F. R. G. S., relates 
that he has ‘‘often seen them raising their heads 
above water, listening to the sea-songs of sailors, as 
they worked at the capstan or pumps, or tracked the 
ship to the ice-tioe.” 'I'he tuneful Orpheus, whose 
powers are said to fail in holding the Dolphin en- 
tranced, may yet be said to caj)tivate these, the more 
su.sceptible and intelligent of ocean’s denizens. 'I'he 
ancients, too, were aware of this propensity to listen 
to sweet sounds. “ Gaudebant carmine plwcoit' is a 
familiar line to the classical scholar, yir Walter 
Scott has given us his mite in this Seal literature — 
*• Undo Ilciskar’s Seals, through surges dark. 
Will long pursue the minstrel’s bark.” 
Seals move rai)idly in the water, ol’ten on their 
backs or sides, and frequently with the feet and 
“flippers” closed snugly to reduce the body to the 
minimum of slenderness. It requires “ rapid transit” 
to pursue and catch fishes of the kind they are ac- 
customed to feed upon in the great tanks of the 
larger aquaria, but they seldom fail to procure 
enough to satisfy them. We were greatly amused 
on witnessing the Seals at Coney Island Acpiarium, 
where, in a large tank, two were confined. A raft 
was anchored in the centre, on which the creatures 
basked and rested when out of water. Numerous 
small fishes ('I'om-Cods), from three to six inches in 
length, were grouped in apparent terror along the 
borders of the raft, seemingly on the alert, and quite 
unwilling to trust themselves out of the shelter of its 
kindly neighborhood. 'J'he Seals, evidently distrust- 
ful from unsuccessful attempts, at their capture, would 
lie with their mouths nearly touching the fishes, their 
large lustrous eyes peering at them wistfully, the 
latter, in shoals, swaying over and around them, se- 
cure in the feeling of association and the knowledge 
(’?) that their movements in this situation are too 
quick for the enemy’s present possibilities. Let oue 
finny individual leave his companions and take to 
the open “field”; the Seal quickly shoots forth, dart- 
like, flashing like a gleam of light, and pretty surely 
seizes his prey. Then he has acquired an impetus 
that equals, it seems, that of the fish, for it was a 
fair chase, involving a zigzag course, and an occa- 
sional doubling — such as the Hare so successfully 
enacts when closely pressed. 
Notwithstanding the delicate nature of the Seal’s 
nose, the creature is very tenacious of life. Instances 
are recorded of the carcass, deprived of its skin, con- 
tracting sufficiently to rotate the pelvis upon the 
spine, upon its being irritated ; this is, however, a 
matter of reflex nervous action. The creature is 
killed with difficulty, requiring a bullet through the 
heart or brain. 
The common Seal of the Arctic regions is known 
to the Eskimos as Nutchook, and is the staff of 
life to them. Ninoo is the White Bear. It is said 
that it is very difficult to get within rifle-shot of the 
Seal ; but Ninoo has such winning ways that Nut- 
chook even comes to his arms to be hugged. .Here 
we see the power of music again, or the seductive 
influence of something much like it. Ninoo is aware 
of the Seal’s habit in sleeping with regular intervals 
of “cat-nap” length, and, on discovering one, lies 
closely on the ice, now creeping stealthily on his belly 
during the period of the Seal’s repose, now hugging 
the ice in the minimum of bulk, while Nutchook 
rouses to look abroad. At the moment when the Seal 
discovers the Bear, or the mutual recognition passes, 
Ninoo soothingly gives voice; it is quite distinct 
from his ordinary utterance; he ‘‘talks” to Nut- 
chook, say tlie Eskimos. It sinqily charms, and 
the “cat-nap” comes again. Forward goes Ninoo, 
and so on, until the distance is so little the Seal is 
actually struck down by the paws of the Bear. This 
most remarkiible fact is verified by numerous ob- 
servers. Capt. Hall had a native, named Koojesse, 
who, like some others of his kind, had learned to 
imitate this method of hunting from the White Bear. 
