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Chapter 14. The South Pole

           Thereweremoresealsthananythingelse,formingdistinctgroups,maleandfemale,thefatherwatchingoverhisfamily,themothersucklingherlittleones,somealreadystrongenoughtogoafewsteps.Whentheywishedtochangetheirplace,theytooklittlejumps,madebythecontractionoftheirbodies,andhelpedawkwardlyenoughbytheirimperfectfin,which,aswiththelamantin,theircousins,formsaperfectforearm.Ishouldsaythat,inthewater,whichistheirelementthespineofthesecreaturesisflexible;withsmoothandcloseskinandwebbedfeettheyswimadmirably.Inrestingontheearththeytakethemostgracefulattitudes.Thustheancients,observingtheirsoftandexpressivelooks,whichcannotbesurpassedbythemostbeautifullookawomancangive,theirclearvoluptuouseyes,theircharmingpositions,andthepoetryoftheirmanners,metamorphosedthem,themaleintoatritonandthefemaleintoamermaid.ImadeConseilnoticetheconsiderabledevelopmentofthelobesofthebrainintheseinterestingcetaceans.Nomammal,exceptman,hassuchaquantityofbrainmatter;theyarealsocapableofreceivingacertainamountofeducation,areeasilydomesticated,andIthink,withothernaturalists,thatifproperlytaughttheywouldbeofgreatserviceasfishing-dogs.Thegreaterpartofthemsleptontherocksoronthesand.Amongsttheseseals,properlysocalled,whichhavenoexternalears(inwhichtheydifferfromtheotter,whoseearsareprominent),Inoticedseveralvarietiesofsealsaboutthreeyardslong,withawhitecoat,bulldogheads,armedwithteethinbothjaws,fourincisorsatthetopandfouratthebottom,andtwolargecanineteethintheshapeofafleur-de-lis.Amongstthemglidedsea-elephants,akindofseal,withshort,flexibletrunks.Thegiantsofthisspeciesmeasuredtwentyfeetroundandtenyardsandahalfinlength;buttheydidnotmoveasweapproached.

           "Thesecreaturesarenotdangerous?"askedConseil.

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