Within the Deep | Page 5

once caught a baby Seal, which they gave to a boy, knowing
his love of animals. The strange baby soon made itself at home, and

loved to lie in the warmth of the kitchen fire. It knew the voice of its
young master, and would follow him like a dog.
The older it grew, the more milk and fish it needed each day. At last,
this food was not to be easily obtained, and so the boy had to get rid of
his pet. He rowed out to sea, taking the Seal, and let it free in the ocean
to fend for itself; but the Seal would not leave him; it swam swiftly
round the boat, calling pitifully. Needless to say, it was taken back
again, and well cared for.
[Illustration: THE SEA-ELEPHANT]
Seals have even been trained to catch fish for their owners. Being
docile by nature, and having larger brains than most animals, they can
be taught. Perhaps you have seen Sea-lions performing surprising tricks,
showing clearly how intelligent these fish-like creatures really are. The
Sea-lions at the London "Zoo" are not specially trained. But they are
clever enough to teach themselves, especially when rewarded by a few
extra fish. They know well the voice of their keeper, and clap with their
flippers to let him know that feeding--time is near; and in many other
amusing ways they prove their intelligence.
[Illustration: SEA-LION]
You have noticed, perhaps, that these Sea-lions can shuffle along on
their hind flippers, which are turned forward under the body. The real
Seals, however, cannot do this. Their hind limbs, so wonderful in the
water, are merely dragged behind the body on land. "Sealskin" should
be called "Sea-lion-skin," to be exact; for it is the Sea-lions, not the true
Seals, which men kill and rob of their lovely warm coats.
The giant of the Seal family is the Sea-elephant; a big lumbering fellow,
with a most peculiar nose. Of course this gives him his name, though it
is not much like the trunk of the real elephant. It is just the baggy skin
of his nose, a foot long, which hangs down past his mouth.
When the Sea-elephant is angry or excited, this loose nose of his
becomes filled with air, and bulges out. Our coloured picture shows

you Mr. Sea-elephant, full grown; his wife and children have ordinary
seal noses. Perhaps we should say wives, not wife, for he has many.
[Illustration: A COMMON SEAL]
The Sea-elephants go to wild, lonely islands, and there make their
nurseries. Year after year tens of thousands of the big Seals gather, to
fight and to rear their young. The clumsy great father Sea-elephants
fight terrible battles; and at this time always seem to be in a very bad
temper, tearing each other with their tusk-like teeth. Their roaring can
be heard far out at sea; but the lady Seals take no part in these combats.
We have no room in this lesson to look at all the other kinds of Seals,
Sea-lions, Sea-bears and Walrus. As we have already noticed, the
sealskin sold in shops is really the skin of a Sea-lion. Sometimes these
are called Eared Seals, for they possess little ears, while the real Seals
have only small holes in the side of the head for ears. Again, there are
some Eared Seals whose fur is of no use to us, for it lacks the deep
under-fur of the fur Seals.
Nature gave this coat to the Seal to protect him from the cold, but it has
caused his destruction! For these animals were killed by the hundred
thousand. Worse than this, they were killed in the most cruel manner.
Laws have now been made to help protect the poor fur Seal from its
merciless hunters. It lives in cold seas where its deep rich coat is a
splendid protection. No finer fur is there for keeping out cold and wet;
and the skilful furrier can make it into soft garments of great value.
The habits of these Seals are strange indeed. For nine or ten months of
the year they wander freely over the open seas. They dive for their food,
and sleep calmly amidst the restless heaving of the ocean. This is the
happy life of the Seal, though enemies--Sharks, Killer Whales or
Grampuses--sometimes snap him up as he sleeps.
Then, in the springtime, there comes a change. The Seals leave the
open sea and take to the land. They go to their special breeding-places,
or "rookeries," as they are called. The big "old man" Seals arrive first,
and haul themselves on shore. Each chooses a spot for himself among

the rocks. He then settles down to defend it; for more and more "old
man" Seals come, all eager to own the best places. The