The time for taking Seals is in the month of October, or the beginning of November. The hunters, provided with torches and bludgeons, enter the mouths of the caverns about midnight, and row in as far as they can: they then land; and being properly stationed, begin by making a great noise, which alarms the Seals, and brings them down from all parts of the cavern in a confused body, making frightful shrieks and cries. In this hazardous employment, great care is necessary on the part of the hunters to avoid the throng, which presses down with great impetuosity, and bears away every thing that opposes its progress; but when the first crowd has passed, they kill great numbers of young ones, which generally straggle behind, by striking them on the nose.

A young Seal yields above eight gallons of oil. When full grown, their skins are very valuable, and make a beautiful kind of leather, much used in making shoes, &c.

The flesh of the Seal is sometimes eaten; and that it was formerly admitted to the tables of the great, may be seen in the bill of fare of a sumptuous entertainment given by archbishop Nevil in the reign of Edward the Fourth.

The growth of the Seals is so amazingly rapid, that after nine tides from their birth they are as active as the old ones.

The female brings forth her young on the land, sits on her hind legs while she suckles them, and as soon as they are able carries them to sea, and teaches them to swim and search for food: when they become fatigued, she places them on her back. The young ones know the voice of their mother, and attend to her call.

The voice of the Seal has been compared to the hoarse barking of a Dog; when young, it is clearer, and resembles the mewing of the Cat.

Seals are likewise found in the Mediterranean and Caspian seas, in the lake Baikal, and some of the larger lakes. These are smaller than the salt-water Seals; but so fat, that they seem almost shapeless.

THE HOODED SEAL

Is found in the south of Greenland, and is distinguished by a thick fold on its forehead, with which it can cover its eyes and nose. Its hair is white, with a thick coat of black woolly hair underneath, which makes it appear of a fine grey colour. The hunters say that it is not easily killed till the covering on its head is removed.

(Phoca Ursina, Lin.-L'Ours Marin, Buff.)

Is much larger than the common Seal, being eight feet in length, and weighing eight hundred pounds.

These animals are found among the islands which lie between Kamschatka and America; also on the coasts of New Zealand, Staten Island, New Georgia, and Falkland's islands. They lie in thousands on the shore, in separate families, each consisting of above an hundred. One male will sometimes have fifty females, which he guards with extreme jealousy. They are excessively fat and indolent, sometimes even scarcely moving from the place where they lie for the space of three months; during which time the females breed and suckle their young. If another approach their station, they are roused from their supineness:

a battle ensues, which frequently becomes general, and spreads confusion through the whole shore. These conflicts are extremely violent; and the wounds given are very deep, resembling a cut with a sabre.

The attachment of the male to the young is very strong: he defends them with great obstinacy, and frequently revenges their loss upon the female, whom he beats most cruelly; whilst she crawls to his feet, and seems to deprecate his wrath with the most obsequious gestures.

The female generally brings forth one, seldom two, at a time.

They swim with great ease, at the rate of about seven miles in an hour. When wounded, they will seize on a boat, draw it along with them, and sometimes sink it. They can continue a long time under water. In climbing rocks, they fasten their fore paws, and draw themselves up.

These and all the Seal kind, will live a long time after receiving the most dreadful wounds; but the most trifling blow on the snout or forehead instantly kills them.

The general colour of these animals is black. They are covered with a coat of long rough hair, under which is a soft down of a bay colour. On the neck of the old ones, the hair is erect, and a little longer than the rest.

The fat and flesh of the old males are very nauseous; but those of the females and the young, when roasted, are said to be as good as the flesh of a sucking Pig.

THE BAT.

THIS singular animal is distinguished from every other quadruped by being furnished with wings, and seems to possess a middle nature between four-footed animals and birds: it is allied to the one by the faculty of flying only, to the other both by its external and internal structure: in each respect it has the appearance of an imperfect animal. In walking, its feet seem to be entangled with its wings, and it drags its body on the ground with extreme awkwardness. Its motions in the air do not seem to be performed with ease; it raises itself from the ground with difficulty, and its flight is laboured and ill-directed; whence it has very significantly been called the FLITTER-MOUSE. several varieties of the Bat kind.

There are

(Vespertilio Murinus, Lin.-Le Chauve Souris, Buff.)

Is found in almost every part of Europe, and is most commonly known in Great Britain. Its usual length is about two inches and a half; the extent of the wings nine inches.