SYNOPSIS OF PINNIPEDS. 385 



III. — Genus HALICHCERUS Nilsson. 

 8. Gray seal, HalicJiwnis (jrijpits (Fabr.). 



Habitat: 1^'oi'th Atljiutic, from southern CTreeniand to N^ova Scotia, 

 and from the coast of Finmark to tlie British Ishiiids. 



This is one of the hir.cest of the northern seals, growing to a length 

 of 8 to 10 feet, but it is now nowhere numerous, though fcn-merly rather 

 common on the coast of Iceland and in the Gulf of IJothnia. rormerly 

 many were killed here and at the small islands oft" the coast of Scot- 

 laud, but it long since ceased to be of commercial importance. 



II.— Sub-family OGMORHININ^^. 



IV.— Genus MONACHUS Fleming. 

 9. Monk .seal, Monachus moiiachus (Hermann). 



Habitat: JNEediterraneau, Adriatic, and Black seas; Madeira and 

 Canary islands. 



This is a large seal (length about 10 feet), found sparingly at the 

 localities above indicated, and has apparently never been sufiiciently 

 numerous to be of auy commercial value, at least not within the pres- 

 ent century. 



10. Wkst Indian Seal, Monachus iropicalis (Gray). 



Habitat: Formerly Gulf of Mexico and Caribbean Sea; at present 

 nearly extinct. 



Two centuries ago this large seal was abundant at various islands 

 in the Caribbean Sea and Gulf of Mexico, its habitat formerly extend- 

 ing from the islands off the west and northwest coasts of Yucatan 

 south to the Bay of Honduras and eastward to Jamaica, Cuba, the 

 Florida Keys, and the Bahama Islands. It has, however, been prac- 

 tically exterminated for probably 150 years, and up to about l^^^l, was 

 almost unknown to naturalists. Since that date enough specimens 

 have been procured, mainly at The Triangles (off the coast of Yucatan), 

 in December, 1886, to .supply several of the leading museums with ex- 

 amples of this exceedingly rare animal. 



In respect to their former abundance, Sir Hans Sloane, in his great 

 work on the Natural History of Jamaica, published in 

 1707, says (Vol. i. Introduction, p. 88) : " The Bahama ' '^""^ "^ '"" ''^ 

 Islands are filled with Seals; sometimes Fishers will catch 100 in a 

 night. They try or melt them, and bring off their oil for lamps to the 

 Islands." 



At the Alacran I.slands, situated about 75 miles north of the coast 

 of Yucatan, they existed two hundred years ago in , ^, , 



„ / 1 "^ -r^ . • •!• j_i • 1 1 • Aliuran Islands. 



great numbers. Dampier, visiting these islands in 

 1G75, says: "Here are many seals; they come up to sun themselves 

 only on two or three islands. . . . There we anchored and lay 

 three or four days, and visited most of them and found plenty of 

 such Creatures [Seals] as I have already described." He further states 

 that there is here " such plenty of Fowls and Seals (especially of the 

 latter) that the Spaniards do often come hither to make Oyl of their 

 Fat, upon which account it has been visited by English-men from 



