EXTERNAL CHARACTERS. 657 



Phoca, Vitulusmarinus, or Sea CaZ/, Parsons, Phil. Trans., xlii, 1742-3(1744), 



383, pi, i. 

 Lachtak, Steller, Nov. Comm, Acad. Petrop., ii, 1751, 290. 

 Long-iodied Seal, Parsons, Phil. Trans., xlvii, 1751-2 (1753), 121. 

 Uksuk, Cranz, Hist, von Gro^nl., 1765. 

 Leporine Seal, Pennant, Syn. Quad., ii, 1793, 277. 

 Eemmesoilen, Fabricius, 1791, 1. c. 

 Oo-sook, Greenlanders. 



Ogjook, Cumberland Esquimaux (Kumlien). 

 Lachtak or Laktak, Kamtschatkans. 



Storkobhe, Blaakohbe, Ravert, Norwegian (VON HJEUGriN). 

 Hafert-skal, Storsjdl, Swedish. 

 Bartrobbe, Bdrtige Seehund, German. 



? Square fipper and Square flipper, of Newfoundland Sealers. 

 Ground Seal, Spitzbergen Sealers (Brown). 

 Bearded Seal, Great Seal, English authors. 



External Characters. Above gray, darker along the 

 middle of the back, the color varying in different individuals. 

 A specimen from Disco Bay, Greenland (Nat. Mus., No. 8697), 

 is gray, varied with black, but without distinct marks or spots. 

 Wagner describes a specimen from Labrador as clear gray 

 above, marbled with large indistinct yellowish spots, among 

 them one on the back of the head more pronounced; sides and 

 whole lower side of the body soiled white. No dark stripe 

 along the back and head. Nilsson describes the color as being 

 a pale gray above, still paler on the sides, and on the heUy 

 white ; head and neck above, blackish, with a narrow band of 

 the same color along the back. Macgillivray describes a Green- 

 land specimen as having "the fore part of the head brown, the 

 top light yellowish-gray ; the hind neck and an obscurely de- 

 fined space along the back, including the tail, dull brown, the 

 rest dull yellowish-gray". Mr. Kumlien, who has had the op- 

 portunity of seeing many specimens in the Arctic regions, says 

 the color is variable, the yellowish-brown being "more or less 

 clouded with lighterordarkermarkings, irregularly dispersed". 

 The length of adult males is usually given as "about ten feet"; 

 females, rather smaller. I find the total length of an adult fe- 

 male skeleton to be 7 feet 2 inches (2195 mm.). 



The young are described as being covered with long, soft, 

 dark gray wool, which, in about two weeks after birth, is re- 

 placed by a coat of shorter, more rigid, bluish-gray hair. Nils- 

 son described a specimen supposed to be foetal as covered with 

 dark gray wool, which is darker on the posterior part of the 

 Misc. Pub. No. 12 42 



