Page:The New International Encyclopædia 1st ed. v. 17.djvu/811

SEAL. 783 SEAL. are very perplexing. Two principal groups are recognized — true seals (Plioeid.t) and otaries (Otariida;), the former without e.xternal ears, which llie latter possess; there are also dill'er- ences in dentition. The Phocida' are all 'hair'- seals; that is, they have no thiclv coating of fur under the outer hairy coat. Some of the otaries are also hair-seals, but all fur-seals are otaries, There are three subfamilies of Phoeid;e — Pho- cin;i;, Monachina', and Cystophorina'. the lirst having ten incisors, the second eight, and the third only six. The Phocin* include many of the best-known species, such as the common seal {Phora vituUna), the harp-seal {Phoca flrwn- laiidic(i), the iloe-rat or ringed seal (Phoca hisjiida), and the freshwater seals (Phoca Caspicu and Sihirica) , already referred to. The common 'harbor' seal is circumpolar in its distribution, and extends in range downward into both the North Atlantic and Pacific oceans. It is locally common along the eastern coast of America, and on the wilder and less frequented parts of the British coast. The pelage is yellow- ish, variously spotted and marked, with brown above, while underneath it is generally yellowish- white; but there is considerable variability in the coloration. In size the common seal is one of the smaller species, the entire length being from three to five feet. Althoigh gregarious, this species is not found in large "rookeries,' but small herds are occasionally seen. The skin, which is used for leather and other purposes, and the oil, which is colorless, nearly odorless, and in many ways superior to whale oil, are of sufficient commercial importance to subject these animals to continual slaughter, and their num- bers are probably steadily diminishing. The fe- males show some attachment to their young, though their devotion has probably been exag- gerated. In captivity the common seal is docile and is said to become attached to its keeper. It is endowed with much curiosity, and tlicic may be some basis for the belief that it is strongly attracted by musical sounds. The sense of smell is very acute and the vocal power ranges from a plaintive bleat to a harsh bark or grunt. The popular name 'sea-calf,' and the specific name vitulina, have reference to a supposed resem- blance between its voice and that of a calf. The harp-seal is a much larger and more northern species, reaching a length of eight or nine feet and rarely coming south of New- foundland. It is extremely gregarious and al- most wholly pelagic, resorting to the ice-floes only to breed. It is much souglit after by sealing vessels, several hundred thousand being annually slaughtered on the breeding grounds. The Iloe- rat is one of the smallest seals, although about as long as the common species. It is an Arctic form, and is of great importance to the Eskimos as a source of food and clothing. This is the species which forms a domed cavity in the ice. called by the Eskimos an 'igloo,' after the name of their own winter houses; and it also keeps open breathing holes through the ice. The seals of the Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal are near relatives to the floe-rat, which they resemble in size, though dift'ering in some other details. Their presence in Lake Baikal, a fresh-water lake, is not so remarkable when one considers that the seal often ascends rivers for long distances and has been taken in Lake Champlain. The Monachin.T are a small group of half a dozen species, all Antarctic, except the two spe- cies of monk-seal which are tropical. TUe European monk-.seal (Monachim iilhiniilriii) oc- curs in the Mediterranean Sea and adjacent parts of the Atlantic Ocean, while a closely ullied spe- cies, the West Indian seal {Moimchiis lioiiicalis) , of which little seems to be known, is coiifinid to the Gulf of Mexico, where it is nearly extirpated. (See Extinct Animal.s.) These seals have the first and fifth toes of the hind feet greatly longer than the others, and the nails of both (ore and hind feet are very small and rudimentary. The other seals of this subfamily are rare an<l little known except the sea-leopard (q.v.) of the .south temperate and . tarctic seas. The Cystophorimc are a small group containing only two or three specii;;*, but both of the genera are of considerable interest. The hooded seal (q.v.) is a large Polar species, remarkable for the hood-like distensible sac covering the head of the male and connected with the nostrils. The second genus, Macrorhinus, includes the largest of all seals, the elephant-seals (q.v.), or sea- elephants so called in reference to the proboscis of the male as well as the great size. Turning to the otaries, or 'eared .seals,' it is convenient to recognize two principal groups, the 'sea-lions' or hair-otaries, and the 'sea-bears' or fur-otaries. The former group includes the larg- est species, some of them attaining a length of fourteen feet. The southern sea-lion (Of nrin juhala) occurs conunonly on the west coast of South America, while the northern sea-lion (Eumetopias HtcUeri) is found throughout the North Pacific from California to Japan. The common sea-lion of California is. however, a much smaller species, called the black .sea I ion (Zalophus Californianus), and is often seen in menageries and zoiilogical gardens. It is famous as the attraction at the Seal Rocks, close by the Clifl' House, near San Francisco. The sea-lions are all very timid animals, easily terrified, and may be driven in herds, even far inland, by means of flags or umbrellas. See Colored Plate of Seals. The Fur-Seals. The last group of seals to be considered are the fur-seals, by far the most important commercially of all marine manmials. The fur-seals of the Southern Hemisphere are now usually placed in a separate genus, Arctoce- phalus. which ranges as far north in the Pacific as Guadaloupe Island ('29° N.). although mainly confined to the south-temperate and antarctic zones. The skin is of considerable value, and these seals have therefore been eagerly sought wherever they resorted for breeding. They have therefore been practically, if not totally, exter- minated, except in some small rookeries in New Zealand and on the west coast of Cape Colony, which are under rigid governmental control, and yield about 7000 skins per annum: and especially "on Lobos Island, off the mouth of the Rio Plata, which is leased by the Government of llruguny to a private company, which so controls the slaughter that about 1,1.000 skins are furnished annually. The northern fur-seals (genus Callorhinus) are confined to the North Pacific Ocean. At the present day they breed mainly on the Pribilof. Conmiander. Robben, Bering, and Kurile isl- ands, the first being the most famous resort. The northern fur-seal varies considerably in size, color, and proportions, and specialists recog-