14« 



SEAL. Class I. 



of the waves immediately above. The power of 

 oil in ftilling the waves excited by a ftorm, is 

 mentioned by Pliny : the moderns have made the 

 experiment with fuccefs*; and by that made one 

 advance towards eradicating the vulgar prejudices 

 againft that great and elegant writer. 



We mud acknowlege the obligations we were 

 under to the Rev. Mr. Farrington of Binas^ in 

 Caernarvonjhire^ for feveral learned communicati- 

 ons •, but in particular for the natural hiftory of 

 this animal, which we Ihall give the public in his 

 own words. 

 Manners. ' The feals are natives of our coafts-, and are 

 •* found moft frequently between Llyn in Caernar- 



* vonjhire^ and the northern parts of Angkfey : they 

 ' are feen often towards Car rig y moelrhon^ to the 

 ' weft of Bardfey^ or Tnys Enlli •, and the Skerries^ 

 ' commonly called in the Britijh language Tynys y 

 ' jnoelrhoniad^ or feal ifland. The Latin name of 



* this amphibious animal is 'Phoca\\ the vulgar 

 ' name is fea calf ^ and on that account, the male is 

 ' called the bull, and the female the cow ; but the 

 ' Celtic appelative is Moelrhon^ from the word 

 ' Moel^ bald, or without ear^, and Rhon^ a fpear or 



* lance. 



* Phil. Tranf. 1774. p. 445. 

 f Dodlor Charkton derives the word (po)Ky\ ex ^w«>j, hoatu 

 quern edit : 'vide Exercitationes de dif. An. pi/c, p. 48. 

 But I do not find any authority for his opinion. 



' They 



