ANIMALS OF NORTH AMERICA. 57 
“ that all speculations, not based on actual examination of an 
animal in its living state, can lead to nothing else than a mere 
multiplication of words.” 
The Great Seal (Phoca' barbata) which attains ten or 
twelve feet in length, is found in the Greenland seas, and 
northern extremity of America. Very little is known of its 
habits, owing to its extreme timidity and watchfulness, 
plunging at once through its hole in the ice, on the approach 
of danger. Acerbi says, that “ neither their teeth nor paws 
have any share in making these holes, but that it is performed 
solely by the breath.” These openings are kept clear, but 
the surface is allowed to freeze over partially, so as to con- 
ceal them effectually, except from very experienced eyes. 
The Harp Seal ( Phoca Groenlandica) is met with princi- 
pally on the coasts of Labrador ; it is remarkable for 
changing its color annually till it attains a mature age, being 
in the first year cream-colored, in the second gray, in the 
third and fourth spotted, and in the fifth it has a black 
mark on its back like two crescents with their horns 
uniformly directed towards each other. 
The F(etid Seal (P. foetida ) frequents the fixed ice near 
the land, never relinquishing its haunts when old. The 
adults are remarkably foetid, the odor even tainting their 
flesh. It is found occasionally in Labrador, but its chief 
haunts are the shores of Greenland. 
The Ursine Seal (P. ursina') is a large animal, averaging 
eight feet when grown to maturity. This species, though 
gregarious, keep in separate families, each male having his 
seraglio of from eight to thirty females, over which he 
watches with incessant jealousy ; it is very fierce. The only 
part of America in which this is found is the group of islands 
between this Continent and Kamschatka ; and, like the sea 
otter, is only seen between the 50 th and 60 th parallels. 
They are there migratory, arriving at those islands in June, 
and remaining till September. They differ from all other 
