152 THE COMMON SEAL. 



In the upper jaw they have six parallel, and sharp- 

 pointed fore-teeth, the exterior of which are the 

 largest ; and in the lower jaw four, that are also pa- 

 rallel, distinct, and equal. There is one canine- 

 tooth in each jaw ; and five grinders above, and six 

 below, all of which have three knobs or points *. 



THE COMMON SEAL ^. 



These Seals are found on most of the rocky shores 

 of Great Britain and Ireland, especially on the 

 Northern coasts. They inhabit all the European 

 seas, even to the farthest North ; are found consider- 

 ably within the arctic circle in the seas both of Eu- 

 rope and Asia, and even continue to those of Kamts- 

 chatka. They prey on fish, and are both excellent 

 swimmers and ready divers :}; . — Their usual length 

 is five or six feet. The head is large and round ; 

 the neck small and short ; and on each side of the 

 mouth there are several strong bristles. From the 

 shoulders the body tapers to the tail. The eyes are 

 large : there are no external ears ; and the tongue 

 is cleft or forked at the end. The legs arc very 

 short ; and the hinder ones placed so backward, as 

 to be but of little u'^e except in s\^imming, The 

 feet are all webbed. The tail is very short. The 

 animals vary in colour ; their short thick-set hair be- 



* Linn. Gmel. i. 62. 

 t Synonyms. — Phoca vitulina. L/iui. — Seal, or Sea calf. Far, — 



riioque. Bujun. S/iaws Gen. Sool. pi. 70.— Bcw. 2uad. iGQ. 



% Penii. Brit. Zool. i. 139. 



