CLASS I. MAMMALIA: ORDER 6. PINNIPEDIA. 



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A GREENLANDER SPEARING A SEAL. 



to the other side of the light boat, the kajak would be drawn under the waves. Then, unless the 

 Greenlander has presence of mind and dexterity to disentangle himself, he is lost. Nor is this all 

 the danger, for the dying seal may attack him; and if it be a female followed by young ones, she 

 will not unfrequently turn on the pursuer, injure him, or bite a hole in his kajak and sink it. 



The Marbled Seal, C discolor. — This seal is a native of the coasts of France, and was at first 

 thought to be a variety of C. vitulinus, or one of that species exhibiting a modification of color 

 from age or sex. Cuvier observes that it does not appear to be a variety of the last named 

 species, proceeding from age and sex only; but he adds, that its cranium does not show a sensible 

 variation from that of the common seal. Professor Nilsson regards it as a distinct species, giving 

 it the name of 0. annellatus. It was one of this species in the Garden of Plants at Paris of which 

 we have given M. F. Cuvier's interesting description. 



Other species of this genus are the Kenalit or C. Oceanicus the White-tailed Seal, C. albi- 

 caudus; the C. lagurus ; the Rough Seal, or Neitsek, C. k'ispidus ; the Urksuk, C. barbatus ; 

 Thieneman's Seal, C. scopulicolus ; the C. leucopla, and the Shore Seal, C. littoreus- 



Genus STENORYNCHUS : Stenorynchus. — Of this there are two species, the Small Nailed 

 Seal, S. leptonyx, a native of the Falkland Islands and New Georgia, and the Sea Leopard, S. 

 leopardinis, found in the South Shetland Islands. We have little knowledge of either species. 



Genus PELAGIUS : Pelagius. — Of this there is a single species, the Monk Seal, P. monachus, 

 seven to twelve feet long, and found in the Adriatic. It is that species whose skins were always 

 carried before the Emperor Augustus as a protection against lightning, the Romans generally re- 

 garding seal-skins as possessing this protective power. 



Genus STEMMATOPE: Stemmatopus. — Of this there is a single species, the Crested, or 

 Hooded Seal, S. cristatus, remarkable for possessing, about two inches from the extremity of 

 the upper jaw, on the superior surface, a cartilaginous crest, which rises, increasing rapidly in 

 height as it passes backwards, about seven inches high at its posterior or vertical edge, which is 

 separated into two planes by an intervening depression an inch deep. The superior edge is 



i slightly convex, and the whole structure is an elongation of the septum of the nose, the true nos- 

 trils opening on each side of it by an oblong figure. This crest runs into the hood or sack-like 

 appendage of the head. The hood is strongly muscular, with an aggregation of circular fibers 

 round its external orifices, which are two, situated at the lower anterior part of the head. The 



. females and young have the crest in a very rudimentary state. The length is eight feet. 

 Vol. I. — 42 



