176 GREY SEAL. 



fessor, who stated that it was solitary in the Bal- 

 tic, whilst here I have seen it often in small parties, 

 and learned from fishermen that they have noticed 

 as many as thirteen congregated on a rock. 



" Colour, in the present instance, appears to be a 

 character of little value ; for, in the many specimens 

 I have seen, I do not remember that any two were 

 precisely alike. The very young females seem to 

 be generally of a dull yellowish white, with rather 

 V>ng hair, which falls off in about a month or six 

 weeks, and gives place to a shorter and more shin- 

 ing coat, variously blotched with grey : this is 

 brighter at first, and gradually grows more dull, 

 and the blotching more indistinct on the uppe* 

 parts, as the animal advances in age ; whilst in the 

 breast and lower parts, the blotchings in some spe- 

 cimens show almost as distinctly as the spots of a 

 leopard. From a peculiarity in the hair of the 

 adult, it being considerably recurved, and as if its 

 upper surface were scraped flat with a knife, the 

 animal, when dry, and with its head turned towards 

 the spectator, appears of a uniform silvery grey, 

 whilst viewed in the opposite direction, it appears 

 altogether of a sooty brown colour ; the spots or 

 blotches being only visible on a side view. The 

 only male specimen I possess died young : it has 

 long yellowish hair, slightly tinged with brownish- 

 black on the back ; it is black on the muzzle, chin, 

 and cheeks, extending round the eyes, but not to 

 the upper part of the nose ; and the palms of the 

 fore- paws are black. 



