54 NEW- YORK FAUNA. 



almost straight. Hind feet with short flattened claws, of which the three middle ones are 

 smallest, none exceeding the membrane, which, when extended, is undulated or scolloped ; 

 under side, in a state of repose, gathered into two large folds. Tail spatulate, pointed, 25 

 wide at the base. 



Teeth. Lower incisors disposed in a curved line, concave outwards ; upper canines arc 

 strongest, and when the jaws are closed, include the lower. First cheektooth small, trilobate; 

 the others multilobate, and increasing in size backwards. 



Color. Uniform dark slaty grey ; but in the water, this appeared of a glossy blackish grey, 

 slightly lighter beneath. Fore foot horn-color, mottled with darker. Young, soiled yellowish 

 white, with indistinct traces of longitudinal marks. 



Total length 51"0. 



Length of tail, 3 • 5. 



Weight, 129 lbs. 



We cite few synonimes, as we are inclined to believe that previous naturalists have taken 

 it for granted, without due examination, that our Seal and the European are identical. Among 

 the many American seals which we have examined, none have presented very distinctly the 

 blackish or brown spots indicative of the P. vitulina, except in one specimen, which was evi- 

 dently a pup of less than a year old.* 



The Common Seal, or Sea-dog, as it is frequently called, breeds in the autumn, bringing 

 forth commonly two at a birth. They are now comparatively rare in our waters, but were 

 formerly very abundant. A certain reef of rocks in the harbor of New- York is called Robin's 

 reef, from the numerous seals which were accustomed to resort there ; robin or robyn being the 

 name in Dutch for seal. At some seasons, even at the present day, they are very numerous, 

 particularly about the Execution rocks in the Sound ; but their visits appear to be very capri- 

 cious.. The seal noticed above had a nearly fully developed fetus ; and as it was killed on 

 the seventh of February, the time of parturition may be placed nearly about this period. 

 Some authors assert that this takes place at any and every period of the year, but this seems 

 highly improbable. Mr. Everson informs me that he has taken them, almost every year, in 

 the River Passaic, in the fyke-nets, much to his regret ; for they generally do great injury 

 to his net, and always make an obstinate resistance. We have but few notices of seals on 

 our coast, unless in mere paragraphs in the public journals, hastily drawn up by persons 

 unacquainted with natural history. In the Kingston (U. C.) Chronicle of February, 1823 or 

 '24, there is a notice of a seal having been taken on the ice on Lake Ontario, near Cape 

 Vincent (Jefferson county) in this State. The paper gives no description, but asserts, on the 



* When I drew up this description, I was not aware of the true specific characters assigned to the Phoca vitulina by Prof. Nill- 

 son, and have had since no opportunity of verifying them upon the Seal of the coast of New-York. These characters are, 1, the 

 oblique position of the molar teeth, by which the internal posterior margin of one is in contact with the outer anterior margin of 

 the next behind it ; 2, the posterior margin of the palate deeply notched ; 3, the external process of the nasal bone elongated and 

 rounded, while the inner is not more than half the length of the former, and with its fellow makes a small triangle. 



