186 
COMMON SEAt; 
takes refuge from the fury of the elements, the 
seals are seen by thousands sporting along the 
shore, and delighted with the universal disorder ! 
This, however, may arise from the sea being at 
that time too turbulent for them to reside in ; 
and they may then particularly come upon land 
when unable to resist the shock of their more 
usual element. 
As seals are gregarious, so they are also ani- 
mals of passage, and perhaps the only quadru- 
peds that migrate from one part of the world to 
another. The generality of quadrupeds are con- 
tented with their native plains and forests, and 
seldom stray, except when necessity or fear im- 
pels them. But seals change their habitation; 
and are seen in vast multitudes directing their 
course from one continent to another. On the 
northern coasts of Greenland they are seen to retire 
in July, and to return again in September. This 
time it is supposed they go in pursuit of food. 
But they make a second departure in March to 
cast their young, and return in the beginning of 
June, young and all, in a great body together, 
observing in their route a certain fixed time and 
track, like birds of passage. When they go 
upon this expedition, they are seen in great droves, 
for many days together, making towards the 
north, taking that part of the sea most free from 
icc. and going still forward into those seas where 
man cannot follow. In what manner they re- 
turn, or by what passage, is utterly unknown ; 
it is only observed, that when they leave the coasts 
to go upon this expedition, they are all extremely 
fat, but on their return, they come home exces- 
sively lean. 
The females, in our climate, bring forth in 
winter, and rear their young upon some sand- 
bank* rock, or desolate island, at some distance 
