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SEAL.

TuereE are many different species of seals. The
common seal is found along the shores of various
couutries of Europe, and is plentiful on many parts of
the English, Scottish, and Irish coasts. These animals
feed cn various kinds of fish, such as flounders and
other flat fish, and commit great havoc among the
salmon in the estuary of the River Tees. “This seal
is hunted, as are others also, far the sake of its skin
and. blubber. The fishing commences.in autumn, and
is practised by means of nets stretched across narrow
sounds where the seals are in the habit of swimming.
In these nets they are entangled, but it is only the
young that can be thus captured; the old ones are shot.”

‘The- common seal can reroain under water for about
five minutes, and swims so rapidly, that if alarmed it
will proceed nearly half-a-mile during that period. Th
seal is intelligent and docile, and easily domesticated;
it becomes attached like a dog to its master, and may
be readily taught to assist in fishing. Many anecdotes
respecting tamed seals are recorded. Few animals have
a finer sense of hearing, and musical sounds appear
“to afford it great delight. Laing, in his account of a
voyage to Spitzbergen, states that the violin, when
played on board the vessel, would generally draw around
it a numerous audience of seals, which would continue
to follow it for miles. Sir Walter Scott alludes to the
same curious fact in the following lines:—

“ude Heiskar’s seals through surges dark
Will long pursuc the minstrel’s bark.”