146 GSEAT SEAL. 



tion of this species has hitherto been published,* wo 

 must say a word or two on our plate. The indivi- 

 dual from which the engraving is taken was brought 

 from the Arctic regions by the late Mr Latta, Sur- 

 geon, Leith, and was presented to the Edinburgh Mu- 

 seum by Bindon Blood, Esq. From the state of the 

 preparation we cannot judge so satisfactorily as we 

 could wish, but, at the same time, we regard it as a spe- 

 cimen of the P. barbata. It is nine feet one inch long 

 from the mouth to the tip of the tail ; the tail mea- 

 sures seven inches. The fore-paw, it will be seen, 

 is not shaped like those previously described, but 

 somewhat assumes the appearance of the human 

 hand, as will be more particularly stated in the se- 

 quel. The claws are very strong and black, carin- 

 ated above; the hide all over is of a uniform dark fawn 

 colour. Along with the Great Seal, we have asso- 

 ciated a small white one, a specimen of which is in 

 the Edinburgh Museum, scarcely three feet long, 

 which has been supposed to be the young of this 

 species. The white colour, it will be observed, 

 differs entirely from the yellow shade appearing in 

 those represented in Plate III., and is of a pure milk 

 white colour all over. These figures, it should be re* 

 marked, being taken from excellent specimens, which 

 are genuine and authentic, possess an intrinsic value, 



The Great Seal of Parson, Phil. Trans, vol. xlii. ; and of 

 Buffon, Suppl. t. vi. pi. 45, are now ascertained to belong to 

 the Grey Seal; which see. 



