1807.] 
AMERTCAN AG-RTCIT I/rURTST. 
359 
V>i: 
The Common Seal. 
In introducing the interesting fninily of the 
seals to tlic readers of the Agriculturist^ Ave arc 
liapiiy in being able to present so beaiuifnl and 
accurate an engraving. It represents the com¬ 
mon seal of our own coast, so abundant on the 
coast of I.abrador, on the ice islands which, in 
the breaking-up 
of the northern 
winter, lloat along — 
the north-cast 
coast of America, "T'-v , 
and the most 
al)undant of the 
Greenland seals. 
This seal, {Piioca 
ritulirut,) is the 
type of the nat¬ 
ural family Pho- 
cida, which in¬ 
cludes those ani¬ 
mals which have 
the same general 
form — the Wal- 
ru.s. Sea - Ele¬ 
phant, Sea-Lion, 
Harp Seal, llood- 
ctl Seal, etc. It, has 
a fish-like form, 
the fore feet pro¬ 
jecting from the 
sides like fins, and 
the hind feet be¬ 
ing nearly united 
at the hinder end of the animal, and appearing 
much like the tail of a fish, or the flukes of a 
whale or porpoise. The tail extends down to 
the hind feet, and appears as an inconspicuous 
appendage between them, d he body, which is 
of a brownish or yellowish-gray color, is cylin¬ 
drical for a short distance below the neck and 
shoulders, but tapers rapidly to the tail. Tim 
head is much like 
that of an intelli¬ 
gent dog, and the 
voice resembles the 
l)arkingofa dog al¬ 
so ; hence the name 
Sea-Dog is not in- 
appropriate. The 
great intelligence 
of the seal is well 
known, and migdit 
bo inferred from 
the size of its brain, 
which is propor¬ 
tionately larger 
than that of any 
other animal, ex¬ 
cept man and the 
most intelligent 
monkeys. The eye 
is most noticeable 
for its lustrous bril¬ 
liancy and calm 
lor>k, exjuessive of 
intelligence far a- 
bove other brutes. 
The ears are sim¬ 
ple orifices, closed by valves or lids which shut 
water-tight, and a similar arrangement closes 
the nostrils, so that, when under water, none 
can enter to interfere with either hearing or 
breathing, when they come out again. Besides, 
the ear valves have the additional advantage of 
giving seals the ability to hear with great acute¬ 
ness, °while submerged. They have also the 
power of diving and remaining down fifteen or 
twenty minutes, and by their accuracy of liearing 
lliey regulate the lengili of lime lliey slay be¬ 
low, and the place where they come up. Tlio 
lips are thick, and the large slilF and knotted 
bristles, or whiskers, whicli grow ui)on them, 
are exceedingly sensitive, and aid them greatly 
in catching fish, which is their almost exclusive 
TUB COMMON 8E.V1, —{PJioca vihiUna.) 
diet. The neck, though short, is very lithe, and 
a seal can move its head about with the ease 
and facility of a duck, though lacking in grace. 
The limbs of the seal are like those of other 
quadrupeds, so far as this,—they consist, in gen¬ 
eral, of the same bones, similarly placed ; but, 
with the exception of the feet, they are concealed 
beneath tlie skin of the bodv. It is curious to 
THE 
CINNAMON UEAK — {Ui'sus Anicricanus, var. ciiuuunoiiius.) 
observe, when the seal moves its “flippers, 
the motions of the apparently well-formed arm 
slipping about under the tight fitting coat. The 
home of the seal is the sea; on the land it is 
awkward, and comparatively helpless. In fact, 
a seal on the land appears to be in a straight- 
jacket, and as if, could one enlarge the arm¬ 
holes of its coat, he would do the animal a last¬ 
ing service. The extremities are fin-like feet, 
with webs between, and nails upon the toes. 
In swimming, the fore feet are used only in turn¬ 
ing, while the hind feet and tail pi'opel the body 
forward, with a sculling motion, and great 
power. The skins of all seals are valuable; they 
makegood leather, and many are covered with 
a very fine and beautiful fur, beneath a complete 
covering of long- 
^ ^ cr, coarse hair, 
which is removed 
when the fur is 
used. Some seals 
yield a valuable 
oil in great quan¬ 
tity, and these 
lu’oducts are the 
basis of “fisher¬ 
ies” of vast im¬ 
portance. The 
seals are usually 
taken upon the 
ice and in the wa¬ 
ter, and many are 
captured by the 
Esquimaux. To 
these people they 
are as important 
as our flocks and 
herds are to us, 
for from them 
they obtain food, 
skins for tents, 
boats, and cloth¬ 
ing, and leather 
for boots, their most important merchandise, 
from some of the membranes, window panes, 
from the sinews, thread and cord, and from the 
bones, utensils, etc.; besides, they use the oil for 
light and for fuel, and are fond of drinking it. 
The males are polygamous, having three or 
four wives, to which they are very devoted. 
During the time of gestation, the seals remain 
on shore chiefly, 
and, if pressed by 
hunger, feed on 
vegetables. They 
have one or two 
young at a birth, 
with which they 
early take to the 
w'ater. A common 
seal will often yield 
eight to twelve gal¬ 
lons of oil; the size 
of adult animals va¬ 
ries, however, from 
three to six feet. 
Cinnamon Bear. 
The animals of 
that remarkable re¬ 
gion of North 
America, embraced 
between the differ¬ 
ent ranges of the 
Bocky IMountains, 
arc subject, to many 
diverse climates and 
conditions of life. It is wet and cold, dry and hot, 
within the compass of comparatively fo( miles. 
It is not strange then, as it seems to ns, that va¬ 
riations in color and other characteristics_ nouid 
occur which justify the hunters in considering 
the animals as different species from those they 
have known elsewhere, though they may be the 
same. The Cinnamon bear of the Rocky 
