, 1875-05-29
SPARKS OF SCIENCE.

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.-.- sE1L-.
Mr.. J. ". Clark delivered \ !.atn.s Npon teA-
li,l.. u tho Geological uArdets. April 20, IN
which ho gAve tho rtsulss Of rninHta nt,Hly nt
tho ontiro Older Tinnipelia, embracing tile sea-
linn, zeal. nni walrua. TheBo animals nro all !
true mammalH, varying from tho fKh both In
structure and habit Tbo sca.Itona tolohg to
ths group O'drpir. and chiefly differ frn:n tho
rcss OF tho family by tho pcssessson Of carr. !
They nso liksr,so distinguished from tia seals |
by tho power to tse their limbs frae}J to lift tho
tody and to walk over tho ground. They can |
eyon run for a short distance with great Aeet-
moss. Tho whole OF the upper aH Of tho arm |
Of tie sea.lion is also free. nt4i "" tnuthb ia
mucl, 'enRthcacj. vAI!s in shs seal sho s1m Ia
embodied in the intesnme't aud tho thumb 10
longer lhan tbs othsg tllg.se. |
Tie akin Of tho rca-lion Is covered with
coarse, stin hair. under whicl. Is : crop OF lne
hair w1o' that glres Ia tho neaskin lta vafuo
~ fur II In hali that old male eea- lions develop
n n,ano. from which they dc.ivs their namo, bnt
II Is not costain tha. this oruA:nen. Ia found IN
al srecios. The fo,d Of The sea.lipn consists
mainly Of fish. 1uo'lrsca, e'ahs, And pengulnn.
It cannot mistake It's food. the 1noIar seot being
amal therefore when II has caught fish too
issgs 10 swallow entire, II hsoaks uI , manage
nb!o portion BY means of gin1ular twis. Of tho
hcah, repeating the pto:esa un:!! taa rhole has
been doyaureh.
Tho fayori.s places Of resort with thcso AMI
maln aro rolltary islands or remote tea coasts.
The rripyloY }s'nnds In IehFing Sea are A1-
nu,1ly peop!cd With multitudes Of them. II !s
supposed thst the sa1ns individuals ret,irn each
season to thcir chosen breeding grounds. which
IL po2u!a.ly called = "sookery." Tho natives Of
lie pribyloy Islands affirm that ouo old mAlo
scal, recognized hy tbs loss Of ono OF it, Zip
pers has returned seventeen years in sucecssiou.
Tho sandy beach on tlless islanda forms tho
Do bo ss, sh'
high-waser line and the cliffs l.; denoniuated ths
"rookery," ana IL ttaetVed exclusively fer the
old n.aleA aad full-g1own females.
Curlng tho Niiitcr the tookeE.ea sru entrelv
deserted b1cep. by occasional stragElc1s. in tts
Hpriuy teYelA! veteran mara fits. soeo Rwitn.
| ming about tho sslauds. oyIo1ilY secoDno.tos-
nE II Ill ia safo they land and ins1cct Tho
coudition Of tho rookericf. Departing again.
ti"y ro;urn in = fa| days witb reinforcement
| Of their nunbets. Two moulin later tho females
i begin to make their appearance, And are appro.
! pyiascd by the males. who often hare sassee
Shortly after the arid OF their mo.hefn m
| sho1e ,lle cubs ato born. At fTht4 ainsularly
| enough, thcao hava great aversion to ths na-
! Ter, hut they a-e TAUGHT to awi,n by their moth
! crr, hud gradually learn to loyo ths element
| IN wMeh thcy ~ to dwell. During
all tho tia,s that tho tea.iions are on nhore .hey
cat absolutely uoiLiug. henco though oxccssi1o-
" fat wheu tAey co:as to tho Hlofn, they are III
very lean condition whcn t1ef tAko to tho ee7
ayain. Tue rookerich are broken TN as eoon as
| tie young tines can shift for themselves. which
| they IL 0 a!,o to do when sbout t1o mouths old.
| The spec.ea IT the ClGri1s, ~ thoy ale now
! defnoi BY tho lstoas authorities. may be thus
| Tu.,,,r,...., From sou,h Africa and tho adjacent
Ja5 ia -" From c.ie HON ana tho .dj.eoas
| f1tkiandra.( Islands.
Sttiir't".. From ths North Pacific.
fFsffd...+.J
H.,SstF''". a,' .5 From Auatra!a aad New Zealand.
None Of the sea-lioas arc observed !u thu At
lnntic e1ccft III lts c1t'ema eouth. Iha tpec'ea
beat known Ia the o. urssaa tsea-j'car,, Which is
almost cutie! confined to tbs Issibr! r!ov 1z.an6A,
discovered 10 1857 by Russian soIaler wAota
name they bear. There ara iwo Of these !slanda.
Oh onc Of wl.'ea the &. Georse. It is calculated
On the other, tie st. Paul about half tha. uuaa-
Ter is rcckouc1, making, In nil, nol'ly 2 0)0,001
OIL tho two iE!ants Tho nnnlhor anuually killed
oats s. sesaS ol 1sensa1 m snna 1 ?2a Hoes Il
th. species were CAPTURED, and al tho "taso "
included eyery animal tnat landed. Tho colon.
WAS OF course ex.ioguidhcd. Tue maio Q. urst"a
reaches it's full growth In pix yea.e, aud
The female attains maturity IT four years aud
sncasnscs but about 1 feet Tho ma!ts Of thu
q. stcltfrt measure l6 feet and weigh up5ards
OF lG cut. II is tbs spccles that f'elueuis the
Islands In tho Larbo: Of Snn francisco and st.
fords 80 much auiuacment 10 siGht"scczs bJ lta
RtranSe, e!aphantlna gnulbo:a-
Tha fur seal Of commerce. O. Faikld1dtcd, Is
much smaller thaa the o,her species, : full.
grown uaaIs hardly exceeding | feet. It lnhsbtd
the Falkland islands aud tho vicinity OF Cape
1Iorn. The snaie Of tho O. jIsd7tl has l oars,
AMI s therefore called "hon."
intermediate between the nca.ilon aud the ttuo
| reals " the Natfus. morse, o. nea-hurAe. This
creatu:o is remarkable for the development. Ut
tic tao capiuc teeth OF tbs HrpeT JAW. wlich
form tusks, IN bo.h tha taa'o mud tae female.
measuring 26 inches in lcng;h, including tl:s {
inches 1oosea in the dcsh. But QUO sp.cics il
! known. tie Trichfcas rosn.drus. 1t is an lnh7b.
itaus Of Arctic aud north tempcrats ecas, Int Ii
becoming scarcs from tho iudecslniuase uaJ iu
which 1t i slaughtered. Il MAS tosHac7'y
Of FinmarE. 10 1775 toyesA thousand ressrssl
to tho NaEdaicu Islands tn tho mouth Of
tho St. Law,ence. England oaco had ".rsts,
fishery at CaIo D.e;on. The suEua u still founl
on tho east coast Of Greenland xud on the vest
shore Of Dayis' Straits. wht!a upwards OF thou
eaud ARC annually taken 1t s;:ltzbe.gan. Il
tonctincs exceeds In size tho arEea: o.. It il
omuiyurous, fcedsag upon scawced, mollutca
> fsl., etc. Tho tuska are valued ~ ivory, the
lilo for thongs, tn oil fot various uses. aEd III
. flesh for fuod zmone the Es4uualz. TITO uaut
, 4 " at,1.s Is Norwegian. aud means whalS-horss
Morse - l.urs;su. Thu walrus ia called Arus
! By tho Grecplsuaors, in imitation Of the cry o
tho young animal
| Dr. +. Grey. who hiss made tho best cla.saca
ton Of tho seals, recognizes fourteen apeccs IN
: cludol in thirteen genera. The species iuhablt
/ | lug the Southern seas arc quite distinct from
i thoua ct tho Northern waters. FteQueuiipg th
polAr seaa lrc tho common sea! (Phoca r.tu!ina)
that ts eometu,Ss seen on the English coast. Iii
!. generally IN ANAL hcrda, .nnd tho GreAt Gre
Seal Ihoea grphus), that ia more rarely rls.bl
In D.stibb waters Sill further nor;h exit. til
!. bearded Seal r. barbasa,) messuunE genarsll
! nino OF ton fect long: the Greenland Sen
! (P. Gretnaandeal. aud tho hinged Seal +. hia
: i,ida) tlo smallest Of all the Northern speciea
!, trhs .Hoodel Sssi," or '.DlAdder Nose" tS.enl
,na:cpus cris.asus), takes ts name from, cnrlou
doreiopmeut OF the nose 10 tho male. Tho uppa
VAL Of tho uoetril ID 80 loo4e that i, can bs box
up At nill into hood,
+ The Monk Seal t.Aonochus a'birenltT) inhabit