. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. 98 MAMMALIA. in the liiud feet, the outer and inner toes are the longest, and the intermediate comparatively short. Their fore-feet are enveloped in the integuments of the body as far as the wrist, the hinder almost to the heel ; between the latter is a short tail. The head of a Seal resembles that of a Dog ; and they have the same intelligence and mild and expressive physiognomy. They are easily tamed, and become much attached to their feeder. Tiie tongue is smooth, and notched at the end, their stomach simple, cœcum
. Cuvier's animal kingdom : arranged according to its organization. Animals. 98 MAMMALIA. in the liiud feet, the outer and inner toes are the longest, and the intermediate comparatively short. Their fore-feet are enveloped in the integuments of the body as far as the wrist, the hinder almost to the heel ; between the latter is a short tail. The head of a Seal resembles that of a Dog ; and they have the same intelligence and mild and expressive physiognomy. They are easily tamed, and become much attached to their feeder. Tiie tongue is smooth, and notched at the end, their stomach simple, cœcum short, intestinal canal long, and tolerably regular. These animals subsist on fish, which they always devour in the water, and are enabled to close their nostrils when diving, by means of a sort of valve. As they remain long below the surface, it was supposed that the foramen ovale continued open as in a foetus, which is not the case : they have a large venous cavity, however, in their liver, which assists them in diving, by rendering respiration less necessarj' to the motion of the blood. The latter is very abundant and very dark. Analogous to Calocephala, The Seals, (properly so called, or without external ears),— Have the incisors pointed ; all their toes enjoy a certain degree of motion, and ai-e terminated by pointed nails placed on the edge of the connecting membrane. They may be divided according to the number of their incisors. In Calocephala, F. Cuv. [Phoca, as restricted],— There aie six above and four below. [The cheek-teeth have more than one root ; and besides the main cutting point, there is on each an anterior smaller one, and two posterior. The brain is in this division amply developed, and tlie intelligence proportionate.] Tlie common Seal (P/i. vitiilina, Lin. ; P/i. littorca, Thiem.)—Common on the coast of Eiu-ope in vast herds, and extending far to the north. Tlie European seas, __^,2___,=—. however, contain several Phoc<e, which have been long
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1840, bookpublishe, booksubjectanimals
