378 GILPIN ON THE SEALS OF NOVA SCOTIA. 



Calocephalus vitulinus. 



The Common or Harbor Seal. 



A skull of this species from Sable Island lies before me. It 

 measures eight and one half inches in length. The teeth are, upper 

 jaw three inscissors one canine and five molars ; the first are very 

 small. On the lower, two incissors one canine and five molars. 

 The upper teeth are much worn, but on the lower jaw the beautiful 

 lobed structure, so well described by Bell and Nilsson, is well 

 exhibited — the large lobe in the centre, one small one in front, and 

 two behind. These together with the peculiar structure of the 

 nasal bones, the outer edge prolonged beyond the inner, the deep 

 notch in the palatine bone, the palatine foramina in the maxillar 

 bone and the oblique position in the jaw of the molars themselves, 

 so exactly resembling the seal of the European seas, leave no doubt 

 of their identity. Thus the habital of this seal is from New 

 Enojland to Greenland — ^to Iceland comino^ down to the British 

 and French seas, and extending, according to Pallas, to the Caspian 

 and Lake Buikal. Thouo^h Godman described this seal as P. 

 vitulinus, and Dekay coming after, called it P. concolor, apparently 

 with no other reason than the prevailing feeling amongst American 

 naturalists of non-identity of old and new world species, yet we 

 owe to Dr. Gill, Smithsonian Institute, in a paper published 

 about a year ago, to liave exactly determined the fact, which he did 

 by comparison of skulls sent him from Sable Island. I regret I 

 have no exact notes of its outward appearance. Many measure six 

 feet, though five feet is the more ordinary length. The head is 

 roundish and face whitish, with a dark spot above the eye, from 

 which, three or four bristles spring, the fore flippers have five well 

 developed fingers connected with webs, and armed with five claws 

 of dark horn color. The hind flippers have also five fingers webbed, 

 with five claws smaller than the fore. In the fore, the middle is 

 the longest ; in the hind, the two outside are the longest. The 

 wrist is much more developed from the integuments than in other 

 seals. The eye is very large and flat. There is an external orifice 

 in the ear but well covered by the fur. The nostrils are linear with 

 a deep line between them, and the lips are tumid and ornamented 



