ELEPHANT SEAL, or SEA-ELEPHANT. The largest specie, Uuccurh inns leoninus) of the hair-seal family Phocidx, an inhabitant of the seas of the Southern Hemisphere. It is consider ably larger than an elephant, being sometimes more than 20 feet in length, with a circumference of about 12 feet at the thickest part, which is at. the chest, immediately behind the fore flippers; the body tapers toward the tail. The females are only one-halt or one-third the bulk of the males. The color is grayish or blaekish brown. The whole body is covered with very short hair, distributed in patches, giving it a spotted appear ance somewhat like watered silk. The head is larger in proportion than in many seals; the eyes are very large and prominent. with eyebrows of coarse hair; the whiskers are composed of very long and coarse spirally twisted hairs; there anc no external ears; the canine teeth form mas sive tusks. The nose of the males is very remark able, being prolonged into a kind of proboscis about a foot in length, which, however, seems to serve no purpose whatever analogous to that of an elephant's trunk, but ordinarily hangs flaccid on the face. During the breeding season time males have furious combats, the victor winning for himself a whole herd of females. When the proboscis is dilated the voice of the sea-elephant, which usually is like the lowing of an ox. is com pletely changed, and becomes a loud and extraor dinary gurgling. See Colored Plate of SEALS.
Sea-elephants were to he found, at the begin ning of the nineteenth century, in immense herds on the coasts of Kerguelen's Land, Juan Fernan dez, South Georgia. the States Islands, South Shetland, the Falkland islands, and the south ern extremity of South America; but their num bers have been greatly reduced. and they are
practically extinct in the region about Cape Horn and other easily accessible haunts. They migrate southward at the beginning of summer, and northward at the approach of winter, thus avoid ing the extremes of heat and cold. A single in dividual sometimes yields 20 gallons of excellent oil, which burns slowly, with a clear flame and without smoke or disagreeable odor. For this oil these animals have been hunted until now they are much reduced in numbers. Cuttle fish and other cephalopods seem to be their prin cipal food; but remains of marine plants have also been found in the stomach. The skin is not at all valued on account of its fur, but its thick ness and strength make it very useful for harness making and similar purposes. The flesh is black. oily, and indigestible. the tongue alone (salted) being esteemed palatable.
Au allied species. the northern sea elephant ( Macrarh in us august irostris), was formerly com mon on the coasts of Lower California. but is now praetieally extinct. It differed very little from the southern species.
Early deseriptions of the elephant seal, in the voyages of rook, Peron, Anson. and others, were tinged with much romance. A gond modern and eritical aceount of the animals, as observed on Kerguelen and neighboring islands. will be found in Moseley. Votes by a Naturalist on the Chal lrnger (London. 1S79). For the history and •llaracteristics of the Californian species. eonsult Scammon, in Fishery] Industries (rnited States Fish Commission, Washington, ISS4), where fur ther references wilt be found.