Show seals have on either side of tho a little scattering bunch of or bristles something liko a cats whiskers the bristles of tho hair seal tho specie at the aquarium at battery park aro not so long as those of the fur seal but they aro three or four inches in length and they aro white and slender and flex abo older of tho aquarium seals which has been thero about 2 years gets a lot of fun out of its whiskers it juggles things in the water with them for licurs liours at a time thero may be floating in the pool a fragment of fish skin for instance left from tho last feeding the seal will baim under this and baiso it on the tips of its slender bending whiskers the fragment floats away or dodges off with the agitation of tho water caused by the reals motions and the seal swings its head under it and raises it again on its whisker tips if it slides down a wave that tho seal has raised the seal swims after it the seal is a very rapid and graceful swimmer sometimes this seal when it has tossed up the fragment of fish skin in this way will turn over in the water with a swift spiral movement and catch the fish skin on its bristles again when it comes up it is bome thing like a man tossing things up in the air and then turning round and back in time to catch them when they come down for hours at a time as a kitten playa with a ball the seal juggles this frag ment floating in the water new york sun |