The Scottish Naturalist. 159 



He was a rather formidable customer to encounter ; after a 

 struggle, still keeping the net around him, they succeeeded in 

 getting him into the boat, but their difficulties were not yet 

 over, the question being how to keep him there. Blows with oars 

 and sticks appeared to have no other effect than to make him 

 still more savage. He endeavoured to attack all and sundry, 

 and bit pieces out of the thwarts of the boat. They managed at 

 last to stun him, when the poor beast was quickly rowed on 

 shore and despatched. Other two examples of this seal were 

 caught at the same place in 1868. Professor Turner noticed 

 one of these in the Journal of Anatomy and Physiology ; the 

 skull of the other Mr Speedie kindly sent to me. Since then 

 specimens have been occasionally caught at that station. 



The shape of the molar teeth of the Grey Seal changes con- 

 siderably as the animal advances in years. In the skull of a 

 young individual in my possession, which weighed eight stones, 

 the two posterior molars of the lower jaw have each an anterior 

 and posterior small cusp, beside the large central one ; similar 

 cusps are also present on the third molar, although not so pro- 

 minently displayed. The third and fourth molars of the upper 

 side have each a posterior cusp feebly pronounced, and the last 

 has two of like size. As the animal gets old these cusps in the 

 most instances disappear, and the teeth when not placed close 

 together in the jaw become more or less round and blunt. In 

 other examples, not of unfrequent occurrence, where the teeth 

 are inserted close to each other, and those of the upper and 

 lower series impinge upon each other, the teeth in these cases 

 are worn into very irregular and curious shapes. All the teeth 

 of this species have each a single root, except the posterior 

 molar above and below, the only true molars in this and other 

 seals — which have in general two roots or fangs. In a cranium 

 in my possession, the last molar of the lower jaw on each side 

 has three roots ; the third is placed about the middle of the 

 tooth toward the inner margin. It is not nearly so thick as the 

 other two, and a little shorter ; but has a distinct perforation 

 exactly its own size in the alveolar border to receive it. 



Professor Turner gives in the Journal of Anatomy, &*c, a 

 notice of a skull of a half-grown individual of this species, which 

 he received from Montrose, that had no molar teeth, although 

 the canines of both sides were present, and of the usual dimen- 

 sions. Dr. L. Edmondston 1 mentions an adult cranium in 



I Mem. Wernerian Society, 1839. 



