in zoology, a genus of quadrupeds of the order of feræ. There are six parallel foreteeth in the upper jaw, the outermost being larger; and four blunt, parallel, distinct, equal fore-teeth in the under jaw. There is but one dog-tooth, and five or six three-pointed grinders; and the hind feet are united so as to resemble a ship's tail. There are three species, viz.

1. The urina, or sea-bear, has external ears. The male is greatly superior in size to the female. The bodies of each are of a conic form, very thick before, and taper to the tail. The length of a large one is eight feet; the greatest circumference, five feet; near the tail, 20 inches; and the weight is about 800 lb. The nose projects like that of a pug-dog, but the head Phoca rises suddenly; the teeth lock into one another when the mouth is shut; the tongue is large; the eyes are large and prominent, and may be covered at pleasure by a fleshy membrane. The length of the fore-legs is 24 inches; they are like those of other quadrupeds, not immersed in the body like those of seals; the feet are formed with toes like those of other animals, but are covered with a naked skin, so that externally they seem to be a shapeless mass; the hind-legs are fixed to the body quite behind, like those of seals; but are capable of being brought forward, so that the animal makes use of them to scratch its head.

These animals are found in the northern seas. During the three months of summer they lead a most indolent life: they arrive at the islands vastly fat; but during that time they are scarce ever in motion, confine themselves for whole weeks to one spot, sleep a great part of the time, eat nothing, and, except the employment the females have in suckling their young, are totally inactive. They live in families: each male has from 8 to 50 females, whom he guards with the jealousy of an eastern monarch; and though they lie by thousands on the shores, each family keeps itself separate from the rest, and sometimes, with the young and unmarried ones, amount to 120. The old animals, which are destitute of females, or deserted by them, live apart, and are excessively sullen, peevish, and quarrelsome: are exceeding fierce, and so attached to their old haunts, that they would die sooner than quit them. They are monstrously fat, and have a most hircine smell. If another approaches their station, they are roused from their indolence, and instantly snap at it, and a battle ensues; in the conflict, they perhaps intrude on the seat of another: this gives new cause of offence, so in the end the discord becomes universal, and is spread through the whole shore.

The other males are also very irascible: the causes of their disputes are generally these. The first and most terrible is, when an attempt is made by another to seduce one of their mistresses or a young female of the family. This insult produces a combat; and the conqueror is immediately followed by the whole feraglio, who are sure of defeating the unhappy vanquished. The second reason of a quarrel is, when one invades the seat of another: the third arises from their interfering in the disputes of others. These battles are very violent; the wounds they receive are very deep, and resemble the cuts of a sabre. At the end of a fight they fling themselves into the sea, to wash away the blood.

The males are very fond of their young, but very tyrannical towards the females: if any body attempts to take their cub, the male stands on the defensive, while the female makes off with the young in her mouth; should she drop it, the former instantly quits his enemy, falls on her, and beats her against the stones, till he leaves her for dead. As soon as she recovers, she comes in the most supplicant manner to the male, crawls to his feet, and washes them with her tears; he, in the mean time, stalks about in the most insulting manner; but in case the young one is carried off, he melts into the deepest affliction, and shews all signs of extreme concern. It is probable that he feels his misfortunes the more sensibly, as the female generally brings but one at a time, never more than two.

They swim very swiftly, at the rate of seven miles an hour. If wounded, they will seize on the boat, and carry it along with vast impetuosity, and oftentimes sink it. They can continue a long time under water. When they want to climb the rocks, they fasten with the fore-paws, and so draw themselves up. They are very tenacious of life, and will live for a fortnight after receiving such wounds as would immediately destroy any other animal.

2. The leonina, or sea-lion, is found near the south pole. One variety of this species is described at some length by the publisher of Anfon's voyage. However, according to others who have written on this subject, the name of sea-lion belongs not so properly to this as to another, which has a mane like a true lion. Of these we have the following account from Pernetty's Historical Journal. "The hair that covers the back part of the head, neck, and shoulders, is at least as long as the hair of a goat. It gives this amphibious animal an air of resemblance to the common lion of the forest, excepting the difference of size. The sea-lions of the kind I speak of, are 25 feet in length, and from 19 to 20 in their greatest circumference. In other respects they resemble the sea-lions. Those of the small kind have a head resembling a mastiff's, with close cropt ears.

"The teeth of the sea-lions which have manes, are much larger and more solid than those of the rest. In these, all the teeth which are inserted into the jaw-bone are hollow. They have only four large ones, two in the lower and two in the upper jaw. The rest are not even so large as those of a horse. I brought home one belonging to the true sea-lion, which is at least three inches in diameter, and seven in length, though not one of the largest. We counted 22 of the same sort in the jaw-bone of one of these lions, where five or six were wanting. They were entirely solid, and projected scarce more than an inch or an inch and a half beyond their sockets. They are nearly equal in solidity to flint, and are of a dazzling white. Several of our seamen took them for white flints when they found them upon the shore. I could not even persuade them that they were not real flints, except by rubbing them against each other, or breaking some pieces off, to make them sensible that they exhaled the same smell as bones and ivory do when they are rubbed or scraped.

"These sea-lions that have manes, are not more mischievous or formidable than the others. They are equally unwieldy and heavy in their motions; and are rather disposed to avoid than to fall upon those who attack them. Both kinds live upon fish and water-fowl, which they catch by surprise. They bring forth and suckle their young ones among the corn-flats, where they retire at night, and continue to give them suck till they are large enough to go to sea. In the evening you see them assembling in herds upon the shore, and calling their dams in cries so much like lambs, calves, and goats, that, unless apprised of it, you would easily be deceived. The tongue of these animals is very good eating: we preferred it to that of an ox or calf. For a trial we cut off the tip..." of the tongue hanging out of the mouth of one of these lions which was just killed. About 16 or 18 of us eat each a pretty large piece, and we all thought it so good, that we regretted we could not cut more of it.

"It is said that their flesh is not absolutely disagreeable. I have not tasted it; but the oil which is extracted from their grease is of great use. This oil is extracted two ways; either by cutting the fat in pieces, and melting it in large cauldrons upon the fire; or by cutting it in the same manner upon hurdles, or pieces of board, and exposing them to the sun, or only to the air; this grease dissolves of itself, and runs into vessels placed underneath to receive it. Some of our seamen pretended, that this last sort of oil, when it is fresh, is very good for kitchen uses; this, as well as the other, is commonly used for dressing leather for vessels, and for lamps. It is preferred to that of the whale: it is always clear, and leaves no sediment.

"The skins of the sea-lions are used chiefly in making portmanteaus, and in covering trunks. When they are tanned, they have a grain almost like Morocco. They are not so fine, but are less liable to tear, and keep fresh a longer time. They make good shoes and boots, which, when well seasoned, are water-proof.

"One day Mr Guyot and some others brought on board five sea-lionesses. They were about seven feet long, and three and a half in circumference, tho' their intestines were drawn. These gentlemen had landed on a small island, where they found a prodigious number of these animals, and killed eight or nine hundred of them with sticks. No other weapon is necessary on these occasions. A single blow with a bludgeon, three feet or three feet and a half long, almost full at the nose of these animals, knocks them down, and kills them on the spot.

"This is not altogether the case with the sea-lions: their size is prodigious. Our gentlemen encountered two of them for a long time, with the same weapons, without being able to overcome them. They lodged three balls in the throat of one while he opened his mouth to defend himself, and three musket-shot in his body. The blood gushed from his wounds like wine from a tap. However, he crawled into the water and disappeared. A sailor attacked the other, and engaged him for a long time, striking him on the head with a bludgeon, without being able to knock him down: the sailor fell down very near his antagonist, but had the dexterity to recover himself at the instant the lion was going to gorge him. Had he once feasted him, the man would infallibly have been lost: the animal would have carried him into the water as they usually do their prey, and there feasted upon him. In his retreat to the sea this animal seized a penguin, and devoured him instantaneously."

3. The vitulina, sea-calf, or common seal, inhabits the European ocean. It has a smooth head without external ears. The common length of those taken on the British coasts is from five to six feet. The forelegs are deeply immersed in the skin of the body: the hind-legs are placed in such a manner as to point directly backwards: every foot is divided into five toes; and each of those connected by a strong and broad web, covered on both sides with short hair. The toes are furnished with strong claws, well adapted to assist the animal in climbing the rocks it basks on: the claws on the hind feet are slender, and straight; except at the ends, which are a little incurved. The head and nose are broad and flat, like those of the otter; the neck short and thick; the eyes large and black; in lieu of external ears, it has two small orifices: the nostrils are oblong: on each side the nose are several long stiff hairs; and above each eye, are a few of the same kind. The form of the tongue is so singular, that were other noses wanting, that alone would distinguish it from all other quadrupeds; being forked, or slit at the end. The cutting teeth are singular in respect to their number, being six in the upper jaw, and only four in the lower. It has two canine teeth above and below, and on each side of the jaw five grinders; the total 34. The whole animal is covered with short hair, very closely set together: the colour of that on the body is generally dusky, spotted irregularly with white; on the belly, white: but seals vary greatly in their marks and colours, and some have been found entirely white.

The seal is common on most of the rocky shores of Great Britain and Ireland, especially on the northern coasts: in Wales, it frequents the coasts of Caernarvonshire and Anglesey. It preys entirely on fish, and never molests the sea-fowl: for numbers of each are often seen floating on the waves, as if in company. Seals eat their prey beneath the water; and in case they are devouring any very oily fish, the place is known by a certain smoothness of the waves immediately above. The power of oil in killing the waves excited by a storm, is mentioned by Pliny: the moderns have made the experiment with suet; and thereby made one advance towards eradicating the vulgar prejudices against that great and elegant writer.

Seals are excellent swimmers, and ready divers; and are very bold when in the sea, swimming carelessly enough about boats: their dens or lodgments are in hollow rocks, or caverns, near the sea, but out of the reach of the tide: in the summer they will come out of the water, to bask or sleep in the sun, on the top of large stones or shivers of rocks; and that is the opportunity our countrymen take of shooting them: if they chance to escape, they hasten towards their proper element, flinging stones and dirt behind them, as they scramble along; at the same time expressing their fears by piteous moans; but if they happen to be overtaken, they will make a vigorous defence with their feet and teeth till they are killed. They are taken for the sake of their skins, and for the oil their fat yields: the former fell for 4s. or 4s. 6d. a-piece; which, when dressed, are very useful in covering trunks, making waistcoats, shot-pouches, and several other conveniences.

The flesh of these animals, and even of porpoises, formerly found a place at the tables of the great; as appears from the bill of fare of that vast feast that archbishop Nevill gave in the reign of Edward IV., in which is seen that several were provided on the occasion. They couple about April, on large rocks, or small islands, not remote from the shore; and bring forth in those vast caverns that are frequent on our coasts; they commonly bring two at a time, which in their infant state are covered with a whitish down, or woolly sub- The seal-hunters in Caithness say, that their growth is so sudden; that in nine tides from their birth (54 hours) they will become as active as their parents. On the coast of that country are immense caverns opening into the sea, and running some hundreds of yards beneath the land. These are the resort of seals in the breeding time, where they continue till their young are old enough to go to sea, which is in about six or seven weeks. The first of these caves is near the Ord, the last near Thurso: their entrance is so narrow, as only to admit a boat; their inside very spacious and lofty. In the month of October, or the beginning of November, the seal-hunters enter the mouths of the caverns about midnight, and rowing up as far as they can, they land; each of them being provided with a bludgeon, and properly stationed, light their torches, and make a great noise, which brings down the seals from the farther end in a confused body with fearful shrieks and cries: at first the men are obliged to give way for fear of being overcome; but when the first crowd is past, they kill as many as struggle behind, chiefly the young, by striking them on the nose; a very slight blow on that part dispatches them. When the work is over, they drag the seals to the boat, which two men are left to guard. This is a most hazardous employ; for should their torches go out, or the wind blow hard from sea during their continuance in the cave, their lives are lost. The young seals of six weeks age, yield more oil than their emaciated dams: above eight gallons have been got from a single whelp, which sells from 6 d. to 9 d. per gallon; the skins from 6 d. to 12 d. each.

The natural history of this animal may be further elucidated, by the following extracts from a letter of the reverend Dr William Borlase, dated October the 24th, 1763. "The seals are seen in the greatest plenty on the shores of Cornwall, in the months of May, June, and July. They are of different sizes; some as large as a cow, and from that downwards to a small calf. They feed on most sorts of fish which they can master; and are seen searching for their prey near shore, where the whistling fish, wraws, and pollocks, resort. They are very swift in their proper depth of water, dive like a shot, and in a trice rise at 50 yards distance; so that weaker fishes cannot avoid their tyranny, except in shallow water. A person of the parish of Sennen, saw not long since a seal in pursuit of a mullet (that strong and swift fish); the seal turned it to and fro in deep water, as a greyhound does a hare: the mullet at last found it had no way to escape, but by running into shoal water: the seal pursued; and the former, to get more surely out of danger, threw itself on its side, by which means it darted into shoaler water than it could have swum in with the depth of its paws and fins, and so escaped. The seal brings her young about the beginning of autumn; our fishermen have seen two fucking their dam at the same time, as she stood in the sea in a perpendicular position. Their head in swimming is always above water, more so than that of a dog. They sleep on rocks surrounded by the sea, or on the less accessible parts of our cliffs left dry by the ebb of the tide; and if disturbed by any thing, take care to tumble over the rocks into the sea. They are extremely watchful, and never sleep long without moving; seldom longer than a minute; then raise their heads, and if they hear or see nothing more than ordinary, lie down again, and so on, raising their heads a little and reclining them alternately in about a minute's time. Nature seems to have given them this precaution, as being unprovided with auricles or external ears; and consequently not hearing very quick nor from any great distance."