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The Descent of Man

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youth. (8. On the sea-elephant, see an article by<br />

Lesson, in 'Dict. Class. Hist. Nat.' tom. xiii. p.<br />

418. For the Cystophora, or Stemmatopus, see<br />

Dr. Dekay, 'Annals <strong>of</strong> Lyceum <strong>of</strong> Nat. Hist.'<br />

New York, vol. i. 1824, p. 94. Pennant has also<br />

collected information from the sealers on this<br />

animal. <strong>The</strong> fullest account is given by Mr.<br />

Brown, in 'Proc. Zoolog. Soc.' 1868, p. 435.)<br />

ODOUR.<br />

With some animals, as with the notorious<br />

skunk <strong>of</strong> America, the overwhelming odour<br />

which they emit appears to serve exclusively as<br />

a defence. With shrew-mice (Sorex) both sexes<br />

possess abdominal scent-glands, and there can<br />

be little doubt, from the rejection <strong>of</strong> their bodies<br />

by birds and beasts <strong>of</strong> prey, that the odour is<br />

protective; nevertheless, the glands become<br />

enlarged in the males during the breedingseason.<br />

In many other quadrupeds the glands<br />

are <strong>of</strong> the same size in both sexes (9. As with

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