8 GREY SEAL. 



three inches in diameter ; it then pulled out our boat 

 to sea, and, when compelled to come to the surface, 

 we fired four shots into it before it ceased violent 

 exertions. The quantity of blood was enormous, 

 spreading to a great extent on the surface of the 

 water. I estimate the weight of the animal, though 

 in poor condition, to nave been upwards of 500 

 pounds: its skeleton now measures seven feet two 

 inches ; it was a very aged female, judging from the 

 state of its teeth ; yet it appeared to be suckling 

 youhg, as there was milk in the mammae." 



After this interesting account, Mr Bell well re* 

 marks " It is impossible not to be forcibly struck 

 with the contrast between the cerebral development 

 of this genus and that of the former, and the rela- 

 tion between the difference of structure, and their 

 susceptibility of domestication. It is exactly ana- 

 logous to the distinction between the crania of Ba- 

 boons, and those of the higher groups of quadru- 

 manous animals. 5 '* 



It seems now to be ascertained that the large spe- 

 cimen which has so long existed in the British Mu- 

 seum under the name of the Phoca Barbata y be- 

 longs to the species now under consideration, and 

 not to the genus we have just left. That animal 

 was exhibited and died in London in 1742, but its 

 place of capture is not reported. We have seen 

 that the Grey is the prevailing Seal on the southern 

 shores of Ireland. One individual has likewise 



* Bell's Brit. Q'* l *upeds, vol. i. p. 278 



