Juniata sentinel and Republican. [volume] (Mifflintown, Juniata County, Pa.) 1873-1955, 1876-01-05

From Mr.. Henry Elliott's report on
the condition of affairs in the Territory
of Alaska, the following new facts in
regard to seals are extracted Mr.
Elliott is employed now in the Smith
sonian institute, and is young man o.
most superior attainments:
.sThe male fur seal at the age of six
or seven years is described as an animal
that will measure six and one-half TO
seven and one-quarter feet in length
from tip of nose TO end of tail, and
weigh at least four hundred and some
times as much perhaps as six hundred
pounds. The head in comparison with
the immense thick neck and shoulders,
seems TO be unproportionately small, !,
but as we come to examine il We find
that it is mostly all occupied by the
brain; the light frame work of the
skull supports an expressive pair of
large, blue-haZel eyes, ana muzzle
and jaws of nearly the same size and
form observed in any Newfoundland
dog, with the difference of having no
fabby, hanging lips; the upper lips
support a white and yellowish-gray
moustache, long and luxuriant, COM
posed of heavy stiff bristles. The fore
feet or hands are pair of dark BLUSH
black fiippers, about eight or ten inches
broad. The shape OF the f1ipper is
strikingly like a human foot, providing
the latter were drawn out TO length
of twenty or twenty-five inches, the
instep fiattened down and the toes run
out into thin, membranous oval-tipped
points, only skin-thick, leaving three
strong cylindrical, grayish, hOrn-col-
ored nails, half an inch long, back Six
inches from these shining toe-ends,
without any nails tomention on the big
and little toe.
As we look on this fur seals progress
sion, that which seems most odd is the
gingerly manner in which he carries
these hind flippers. They are held out
at right angles from the body, directly
opposite the pelvis, the toe ends and
flaps slightly waving and curling above
the earth. The neck, chest and shoul-
ders of a fur seal bull comprise more
than twO-thirds of his whole weight,
and in this long, thick neck and fore
limbs is embodied the larger portion OF
his strength; when on land with the
fore feet he does all climbing over rocks,
the hind fiippers being gathered up after
every second step forward. These fore
feet are the propelling power when in
water, the hinder ones being used "a
rudders chiefly.
The females or cows. like the males,
vary much in weight, but are much
lighter, only weighing from eighty to
one hundred and twenty pounds. The
strong contrast between the males and
females in size and shape is heightened
by the air of exceeding peace and ami
ability which the latter class exhibit
They are from four to four and a hall
feet in length from head TO tail, and
much more shapely in their proportions
than the male, the neck and shoulder
being not near so fat and heavy in pro-
portion to their posteriors. The head
and eve of the female are really at
tractiye; the expression is exceedingly
gentle and intelligent; the large, lus-
trous eyes, in the small, well-formed
head, apparently CLEAN with benignity
and satisfaction when she is perched
upon some convenient rock and has an
opportunity to quietly fan herself"