The Indiana State sentinel. [volume] (Indianapolis) 1868-1895, 1880-04-28
The Seal World.
Elizabeth Richardson in Golden Days

Elizabeth Richardson in Golden Days
A pretty seal story was told me some time
ago by an eminent scientist. As he was
walking one day on the Pacific Coast, he
picked up one of the many little seals that
were playing with their mothers in the shall
low water or on the beach, thinking that if
he could carry the little animal the long
hundreds of miles that were between him
and his home. it would make nice pet for
his little boy. But he had gone only few
steps away, when the mother discovered her
loss, and started after him, crying and moan
ing so piteously, as she,dragged herself along,
that his kind heart was touched, and he put
her baby down.
When he saw the great delight in the
mothers face, he was very glad he had not
left her desolate. For seals love their little
ones most tenderly, and train them with great
care and patience.
If he had kept the little thing, he would
probably have been Lsorry for it; for seals,
though they make one Of the incest of pets,
are very expensive ones unless, indeed, they
are kept on the sea-shore, where they can be
taught to take care of themselves in the
water, and perhaps do some fishing for their
owner besides.
Seals are so shy that it would generally be
impossible tor any one to get near enough to
PICK one OF IHeu al the from
their sentinel when they come on shore one
of their number is always set on guard) each
mother would take her baby on her arm and
dive into the water.
But the story ] have Just told happened at
one of the few llaces where the same seals
come year after year, and feel so perfectly at
home that they will hardly moye from under
an invaders foot.
There are two families of seals The one
having outward cars is the fur seal, and the
one with no outwardly developed ears is the
hair seal.
These two animals have many sub-divi-
sions, as the sea- bear, sea-lion, walrus, sea-
elephant and others; but the common seal,
while it is one of the smallest, seems to be
the most intelligent Of them all.
1t is generally the common seal that has
been tanned, and 1 want-not to give scien-
tifc account of the different kinds-but just
to tell Of few interesting facts and stories,
chiefly, but not entirely, about this one Ein6
That seals can be tanned, is not by any
means new discovery; for Mr.. Houghton,
in his book on Natural History Among the
Ancients," says that "Pliny expressly states
that these animals are susceptible of training
and, with voice and gesture, can be taught
10 salute the public, answering with pecu
liar noise"
The ancients seem to have had some super
stition about them: for it is said that Julius
Caesar always carried sealskin with him as
protection against lightning and thunder,
both of which he greatly feared.
1t is very strange, that, though seals are
water animals, they can not live under the
water long at a time.
Fish breathe by passing water through their
gills, but seals breathe with lungs, Just as
human beings do; and so, unless they come
to the surface every few minutes, they would
drown.
The Philadelphia Geological Society lost a
seal in this way few years ago; "This was
young female, who had the habit of gener-
ally staying in the water at night. During
a very cold night, early in the winter, she
lost the air-hole she had kept open to breathe
through, and not having strength to break
the ice which formed over her, she was found
in the morning drowned"
Though tbay have only half developed
hands-for Socrates speaks of their fippers
as hands with five fingers, each finger with
three joints and q claw-seals make good
use of them, and can easily climb out of an
ice-hOle which is three or four feet deep.
There is, / believe. but one species of seal
known in tropical countries, and the great
est number of them are found far
North. In Greenland, for instance, they are
so numerous that they supply the Green
lander with nearly every necessary Of life;
for, says Wood. he makes clothes Of the fur,
boats of the skin, buoys Of the stomach, and
spear heads Of the teeth.
Besides this, the oil which is made of their
fat is very valuable, and the bears, at least,
make many good meal on their flesh,
though 1 do not know whether the Green
landers eat it or not.
Seals are said to have the largest brain, in
comparison with their size, Of any animal,
and they certainly show wonderful nitelli-
gence. Sometimes one seal having solved
the mystery of fish-nets so thoroughly, that
he never entargles himself in one, haunts
fishing ground for years, and makes his