Dr. J. E. Gray on the Species of Seals. 309 



The general form and size of the face, and the form of the teeth, 

 are very similar to those of a skull of Pagomys fcetidus of the same 

 age. It only differs from the latter in the lower jaw being rather 

 shorter and broader, in the grinders being larger, thicker, and rather 

 closer together, in the central lobe of the grinders being consider- 

 ably larger, thicker, and stronger, and in all the lobes of the grind- 

 ers being more acute. The lower margin of the lower jaw is dilated 

 in front, just as in Pagomya fcetidus ; but the jaws behind the dila- 

 tation diverge more from each other, leaving a wider space between 

 them at the hinder part. The form of the hinder angle of the jaws 

 is very similar in the two species. The orbit is rather smaller and 

 more circular ; for in P. fvetidut it is rather oblong, being rather 

 longer than wide. The forehead appears, as far as one can judge 

 by the fragments, to be flatter and broader, and the nose rather 

 shorter. 



The following measurements show the difference between the two 

 species: — 



P./atidui. P. nummularu. 

 ill. 12th8. in. 12ths. 



Length of lower jaw to hinder notch ..211 17 



Length of lower jaw to end of dilatation. 15^ ^ ^i 



Length of upper teeth-line 1 3^ 1 2 



Length of three grinders 2^ 3 



Width at outside of hinder notch 19 17 



Length of orbit 1 8^ 1 5 



The Phoea nummularis of Japan has been considered to be iden- 

 tical with Phoca Largha of Pallas, from the east shore of Kams- 

 chatkft, the Phoca Chorissii of Lesson, and the Phoque tigre of Kras- 

 chennenikow (which has been named Phoca tigrina by Lesson), on 

 the strength of their coming from nearly the same district ; but I 

 am not aware that specimens of any of the latter species exist to 

 verify the union and determine what are the species described under 

 these names. 



The British Museum has lately purchased the dead body of a Seal, 

 which had been exhibited in London as the " Talking Fish." The 

 proprietor, an Italian, at first said it was from the coast of South 

 America, but afterwards admitted that it was from one of the ports 

 on the north side of the Mediterranean ; and on examination it 

 proved to be the Monk Seal {Phoca albiventer), the type of the 

 genus Monachus of Fleming and Pelagus of F. Cuvier, a genus which 

 was one of the desiderata in the Museum Collection. 



The comparison of the skull of this animal with the skulls of the 

 Seal from Madeira, which I described in the • Annals and Magazine 

 of Natural History' for 18.)^ under the name of Heliophoca atlan- 

 tica, has shown that the latter animal is the same as the Mediter- 

 ranean Seal. 



The British Museum has since received from M. Verreaux a very 

 good skeleton of a Seal from Algiers, under the name of Phoca le- 

 porina, which is evidently the same as the Phoca albiventer of 

 Cuvier (Oss. Foss. v. t. I 7). 



