GREY SEAL. 215 



able from it by its more flattened forehead, deeper 

 muzzle, and more elongated form, is not uncommon 

 on our northern coasts. It is said to attain a length 

 of ten feet or more ; but the largest individual that 

 has come under my observation did not exceed 

 seven. A male, probably about six months old, and 

 only three feet nine inches in its greatest length, 

 obtained in Harris, on the 27th March 1817, pre- 

 sented the following characters : From the shoulders 

 to the umbilicus the body is nearly cylindrical, from 

 that to the sacral extremity conical ; from the 

 shoulders to the snout, when the head is extended, the 

 form is that of a short rounded cone, bulging a little 

 at the head. The latter is flattened above, with its 

 upper outline straight, the upper lips thick, but not 

 bulging immoderately, the nose broad, the nostrils 

 roundish, with a lateral diverging slit, the mouth of 

 moderate size, the lower jaw short, the eyes rather 

 small, the ears destitute of auricles, and placed a 

 little behind the eyes. The limbs are short, the 

 fore feet broad and depressed, the first toe longest, 

 the rest gradually decreasing; the claws large, 

 somewhat triangular or carinate, slightly curved, 

 with the tip obtuse. The hind feet, which are much 

 larger, are, when expanded, fan-shaped, the lateral 

 toes largest, the middle toe shortest ; the claws 

 much smaller than on the fore feet, nearly straight, 

 depressed, and tapering. The bristles on the upper 

 lip large, stiff, flattened, undulated on both margins, 

 and disposed in six rows, decreasing upwards. In 

 this individual, the process of depilation was going 



