Mr. Ball on the Species of Seals inhabiting the Irish Seas. 95 



small one; that I never saw a seal in this country which I could suppose to be 

 represented by the figure of Groenlandica in Griffith's Cuvier, or Mr. Bell's 

 British Quadrupeds ; and that a seal which I saw distinctly through a telescope 

 on the Welch coast, which I think it likely was of the Severn species, differed 

 very much from that figure, being of a slight form, uniform colour, and rounded 

 head. These observations show, I think, sufficiently that the seal in question is 

 not the Groenlandica, but the data are so scanty, that I am unable to offer an 

 opinion as to what is the real species, which I believe is yet to be determined. 



Since writing the foregoing, I have seen at Paris, through the kindness of 

 M. De Blainville, the original skull of the Phoca Groenlandica, sent by the French 

 ambassador from Copenhagen; and M. Frederick Cuvier having favored me with 

 an inspection of his unpublished plates, &c. on the Phocidas, I feel now quite 

 confirmed in the opinion before formed, that the seal of the Severn is not satis- 

 factorily determined. 



The following notices may serve to call attention to the Investigation of 

 species occurring on the southern and western coasts, which at present are not 

 sufficiently known. I believe that a fourth species of seal exists on the southern 

 coast, with a larger head and blunter muzzle than any of the three alluded to : — I 

 have seen such a creature occasionally in storms, but never had opportunity of 

 observing It closely. This may prove to be the Phoca Barbata, of which species 

 there are some skulls in the Museum of the College of Surgeons here, but no 

 account of where or when procured. 



A seal-hunter, who has been borne out In several other wonder-creating 

 stories, has told me, that he killed, a few years ago, on the coast of Waterford, a 

 male seal, measuring nineteen feet In length ; that it was, when he first saw It, in 

 combat with one of an ordinary size. He was not able to give any other distin- 

 guishing character, save that It had much less hair than any other seal he had seen.* 



* R. W. M'llwray, Esq., of the County Mayo, kindly favored me with the following account, in 

 reply to an inquiry of mine as to a seal said to have been seen by him : 



" Inniscarrow Reef, about eight miles from Westport, was a favorite haunt of seals ; and on the 

 day I saw the extraordinary species you allude to, there could not be less than 130 seals basking on 

 it. I got my hooker to windward of the Reef, which was the opposite side to where they lay, and 

 dropped down gently with the punt without using an oar, lest I should alarm them, and landed, 

 accompanied by one of my boatmen 5 in a few minutes we crept to within fifty yards of them, when 



