for, in consequence of their sluggish and unwieldy motions, they are incapable either of escaping or resisting. A sailor, however, was one day carelessly employed in skinning a young one that he had just killed, when the female, from whom he had taken it, came upon him unperceived, and bit him so dreadfully, that he died a little while afterwards.

These animals seem to divide their time almost equally betwixt the land and sea. They continue at sea during the summer, and coming on shore at the commencement of winter, reside there all that season. When on shore, they feed on the grass and verdure which grow on the banks of the fresh-water streams; and, when not employed in feeding, they sleep in herds, in the most miry places they can find. Like the Ursine Seals, each herd seems to be under the direction of a large male; which the seamen ludicrously style the Bashaw, from the circumstance of his driving away females from the other males, and appropriating them to himself. These Bashaws, however, do not arrive at this envied superiority without many bloody and dreadful contests, of which their numerous scars generally bear evidence. Their battles are frequent, and sometimes extremely furious.

It has been remarked, that each herd places at a distance some of the males as sentinels; and that these never fail to give the alarm if any thing hostile approaches. The noise they make for this purpose is very loud, and may be heard at a considerable distance. Their usual voice is a kind of loud grunting; or sometimes a snorting, like that of horses in full vigour.

The Bottle-nosed Seals are usually found in the seas around New Zealand, the Island of Juan Fernandez, and the Falkland Islands.

THE LEONINE SEAL*.

Leonine Seals are found in great numbers on the eastern shores of Kamtschatka. They inhabit chiefly the most rocky situations; and, by their loud and tremendous roaring, are frequently of use during foggy. weather, in giving warning to sailors of their near approach to the coast.

If a human being appear among them, they immediately run off toward the sea; and when attacked or disturbed in their sleep, they seem to be seized with horror; in their ludicrous attempts to escape, they fall into the utmost confusion, and tumble down, and tremble so violently, that they are scarcely able to use their limbs. When, however, they find it impossible to escape without fighting, they become desperate, and turn on their assailant with vast noise and fury. But when they find themselves uninjured, and that there is no intention to assail them, they soon overcome their fear of mankind. Steller, when he was on Behring's Island, lived for six days in a hovel that was surrounded by these animals. They were soon reconciled to him, would observe, with great apparent calmness, what he was doing; would lie down near him, and even suffer him to take hold of and play with their cubs.

The Leonine Seals have often severe disputes for the

DESCRIPTION. The Leonine Seal has a large head and eyes. The nose turns up, somewhat like that of a Pug Dog. The ears are conical and erect; and, along the neck of the male, there is a mane of stiff curled hair. The whole neck is covered with long, waved hair, not much unlike that of the Lion. The hair of the other parts of the body is short and red: that of the female yellowish. At a certain age these animals become gray. Their feet resemble those of the Ursine Seal. The weight of a large male is about 1600 pounds. The males are frequently from 16 to 18 feet long, but the females seldom exceed eight.

SYNONYMS. Phoca jubata. Linnæus.-Sea Lion. Cook. Forster. Leonine Seal. Pennant.-Shaw's Gen. Zool. Pl. 74.

1. Arctic Walrus. 2. Seal. 3. White Bear. 4. Penguin.

London. Published by Longman & Co Oct 1820.

possession of their females; and Steller had an opportunity of witnessing several of their conflicts. He once was witness to a duel between two males which lasted for three days, and in which one of them received above a hundred wounds. The Ursine Seals that were among them never interfered, but always hastened out of the way of their battles.

The females bring forth each a single young-one at a birth. The cubs are not sportive, like most other young animals, but seem stupified by much sleep. They are often taken by their parents into the water, and taught to swim; and when they are tired, they climb on their mother's back. It is said, however, that the males frequently push them off again, in order to habituate them to this exercise.

The chase of these animals is esteemed by the Kamtschadales an occupation of the highest honour. When they find one of them asleep, they approach it against the wind; strike a harpoon, fastened to a long cord, into its breast, and run off with the utmost precipitation. The other end of the cord, being fastened to a stake, prevents the animal from running entirely away, and they principally effect his destruction by flinging their lances into him, or shooting him with arrows. As soon as he is exhausted, they venture near enough to kill him with their clubs. When a Leonine Seal is discovered alone on the rocks, they shoot him with poisoned arrows. Immediately he plunges into the sea; but, unable to bear the poignancy of his wounds in the salt water, swims in agony to the shore. If opportunity allow, they transfix him with their lances; if not, they leave him to die of the poison.

During about two months of the summer, the fullgrown males abstain almost entirely from eating, and indulge themselves in indolence and sleep. Their voice is not much unlike the deep bellowing of a bull. The young ones bleat like sheep.

VOL. I.