{
  # the values of the following hash are subs defined elsewhere
  my %dispatch = (
    dev_random  => \&_dev_random,
    dev_urandom => \&_dev_urandom,
    random_org  => \&_random_org,
    hotbits     => \&_hotbits,
  );

  sub _seed {
    my $none = $_[ 0 ] eq 'none';
    my @methods =  @_ if not $none;

    @seed = ();
    my $magic_num = magic_num();

    while ( @methods ) {
      my $method = shift @methods;

      my $need = $magic_num - @seed;

      if ( @methods &&
           looks_like_number( $methods[0] ) ) {
        my $n = shift @methods;
        $need = $n if $n < $need;
      }

      unless ( defined $dispatch{ $method } ) {
        push @errors, "Unsupported seeding method: $method";
        next;
      }
      push @seed, $dispatch{ $method }->( $need );
      last if @seed >= $magic_num;
    }

    push @errors, 'Full seed not acquired from sources: ' . @seed
      if @seed < $magic_num and not $none;

    push @seed, time, $$;
    $#seed = $magic_num - 1 if @seed > $magic_num;

    # Seed the PRNG
    seed( @seed );
  }
}