The Wily Seal

The seal is probably the clumsiest animal in the world, says the New York Recorder. He likes to bask in the sun nll d&y and when he moves he isexceedingly sluggish and awkward. It has often been wondered how this animal manages to Reeure its favorite food, wild sea fowl. Sea gulls are so wild that it is diffleult even for man togetwithin gunshot of one. The seal seems to realize that 5 c would be a waste of time to attempt to crawl up on the gulls as they rest npon the water and catch them unawares. So he watcfaes until the gulls are soaring slowly through the air and close to the waves. Then the seal dives into the sea and swims underneath the water for some distance. By the time lie has managpd to swim about 100 feet the gfull has forgotten the presence of its enemy. This gives the seal his opportunity. He cautiously rises to the surface of the water at some distance irom the point at which he dived, and lillows merely the tip of his great nose 10 appear above the water. Remaining in this position, he gives lïis enormous body a rotary motion, so that his nose describes a circle on the feiirface of the ocean. He does this so skillfully that to the gull his nose looks like a flsh at play. This catches the gull's eye, and it at once darts down svith the speed of au arrow, aiming traight for the little dot. The seal sees it coming' and sinks a few inches, and as the giill strikes the water with tremendous force the seal's jaws close cpward and the gull disnppears.