MISCELLANEA. 71 



opening for the exit of the young shell being parallel to the 

 surface to which the capsule was attached. The number of 

 capsules was, in this instance, eighteen ; they are four lines in 

 length, and two and a half in breadth ; the young shell which, 

 from the fact of the other capsules being empty, appears to have 

 been ready to leave the egg, is three lines in length by two in 

 breadth. In the summer of 1856, Mr. Albany Hancock and 

 myself each took a live sj^ecimen of Emarginula reticulata on the 

 rocks, near low -water mark, at Cullercoats ; and in March, 

 1857, I again obtained it in the same locality, in company 

 with a few living specimens of Cyprcea Europcea. This shell 

 is recorded in our Catalogue of Mollusca, as obtained from 

 the fishing boats, but I believe it had not been previously 

 found alive upon the rocks ; and its occurrence there seems to 

 show that its range of depth is considerable. Amongst other 

 facts of a similar nature, I may mention (if the assertions of the 

 fishermen can be relied upon) the obtaining of a very beautiful 

 variety of the common mussel, Mytilus edulis, from deep water. 

 This shell is generally considered to be exclusively a shallow- 

 water species. The specimen obtained was of a peculiar form, 

 approaching Modiola in outline ; the surface is highly polished 

 like that of Crenella nigra, but not so decidedly striated. — 

 Henry T. Mennell, Newcastle, June, 1858. 



On the Occurrence of the Grey Seal, {^Halichcerus Gryphus). — A 

 full grown individual of the Grey Seal, Haliclia^rus Gryphus, was 

 taken on the Northumberland coast, on the 8th October. It 

 was exhibited in Newcastle fora few days, and was afterwards 

 purchased by the Natural History Society, for their Museum. 

 It measured upwards of 7 feet in length from the muzzle to the 

 end of the hind foot; and 4 feet 10 in. in girth, immediately be- 

 hind the fore feet. This is undoubtedly one of the colony long 

 known to be established at the Fame Islands, and which for 

 some time was supposed to consist of the Great Seal, Phoca 

 harhata. Mr. Selby, however, some years ago set this matter 

 at rest in a communication to the " Annals of Natural History," 

 vol. vi.,p. 462; but his investigation does not appear to have ex- 



