698 HALICHCERUS GRYPUS GRAY SEAL. 



that the genus Halichcerws was there represented by three spe- 

 cies, they describing as new H. macrorhynchus and H. pachy- 

 rhynchus, but these have not been accepted as valid by subse- 

 quent writers.* 



As will be noticed later more in detail, the Gray and the 

 Bearded Seals have often been confounded, especially by Brit- 

 ish authors; consequently all the references to the Bearded 

 Seal as a British species really relate to Halichcerus grypus.^ 



* I know of Hornschuch and Schilling's brochure only through citations by 

 authors. I quote the following abstract of the paper from Prof. Andreas 

 Wagner's "Bericht iiber die Leistungen in der Naturgeschichte der Sauge- 

 thiere wiihrend des Jahres 1850": "Ihre 3 Arten sind folgende : 1) H. 

 macrorhynchus, die langschnauzige Meer robbe(H. grypuss. griseus 

 Miss.); Rticken aschgrau, ins Griiuliche schiessend, schwach silberartig 

 schillernd und mit wenigen kleiuen graubrauneii Flecken bestreut. Schiidel 

 in alien seinen Theilen s e h r gestreckt und sein oberer Uuiriss bildet eine 

 in der Mitte stark gesenkte Linie ; die Eckzahne stark. Obwohl 

 Zeichnnng und Farbe bedeutend variiren, so behalten sie doch immer einen 

 eigenthiiuilicheu Typus, welches auch bei den folgendeu Arten der Fall ist. 

 2) H. Grypus Pabr. , diekrummnasigeMeerrobbe; Rlikkeu weis- 

 grau, stark ins Griinlichblaue ziehendmitstarkemSilberschiller und vielen 

 grosseren und kleiuereu, unregelmiissigen, mehr oder minder ineiuauder ver- 

 fliessenden schwarzen Fleckeu. Schiidel kurz und ziemlich hoch, sein oberer 

 Umriss bildet eine bogenformige Linie ; die Eckzhiiiie siud schwacher 

 als bei der folgenden Art. 3) H. pachyrhynchus, die dichschnauzige 

 Meerrobbe; Riikken silberweiss, ius Griiiilichblaugraue schiessend, gliin- 

 zend, mit kleinen uud miissig grosseu, liiuglicheu, schwarzbraunen, unregel- 

 massigen Flecken. Schiidel ziemlich kurz, viel weniger gestreckt als bei 

 H. macrorhyuchus, sein oberer Uinriss bildet eine beinahe gerade,bis 

 zum Anfange der Nasenbeiue sich etwas erhebende, dann 

 sich stark senkende Linie ; die Ziihue starker als bei H. macrorhynchus." 

 Troschel's Arch, fur Naturg., 1851, ii, p. 29. 



t Mr. Selby admits that much of this confusion, at least so far as regards 

 the " Great Seal of the Farn Islands," is due to his erroneously referring it, 

 in 182G, to the Plioca barbata, but to Mr. Selby is also due the credit of later (in 

 1841) making known the affinities of the "Great Seal" of the Farn Islands. 

 After alluding to the fact that the large Seal of the Northumberland coast 

 was referred to Plioca barbata by both Jenyns and Bell on his authority, and 

 stating the reasons that led to his erroneous determination, he says : " . . . 

 having requested the person who at present rents these [Farn] islands to 

 send me the heads of any Seals he might be fortunate enough to kill, at the 

 usual time of his visiting the island to which they retire to calve, (which 

 they do about the 10th or 15th of November,) I have had an opportunity of 

 examining three heads, which I received in a fresh state about six weeks 

 ago, one being that of an adult female, the other two belonging to younger 

 animals, all of which upon examination proved to belong to Halichcerus 

 griseus, agreeing in every essential character with Mr. Bell's description of 

 that animal, and with the drawings given me by Mr. Ball ; and as no other 



