506 CLASS MAMMALIA. 



proached to feed him, he would run forward, and solicit his 

 food by lively motions of his head, and the most expressive 

 glances of his eye. This animal exhibited many other in- 

 stances of considerable intelligence. 



M. F. Cuvier has since seen an individual of this species, 

 as well-educated as any Dog could be. 



Of the common species there are many varieties, differing 

 principally in colour, but not deviating, of course, in cra- 

 niological characters. That we have engraved, under the 

 name of the Common Seal, seems to be the spotted variety, 

 met with most commonly on the Dutch coast. Linnaeus, as 

 the Baron observes, under his Phoca Vitulina, or Common 

 Seal, has quoted several species. 



Another species, whose skin is the most esteemed for com- 

 mercial purposes, is an inhabitant of the Frozen Ocean. It 

 has been often described, but seems so much subject to va- 

 riety, as to present the appearances of many distinct spe- 

 cies. The sexual difference, also, is very great, as our 

 figures evince, of both the male and female. This is the 

 Phoca Groenlandica of Fabricius, the P. Oceanica of Lepe- 

 chin, (Acta Acad. Petrop. 1777,) and the Harp or Heart 

 Seal of English traders. It is generally of a grayish-white 

 colour ; and the sub-contiguous blotches, represented in 

 our figure, are generally described as more regular in their 

 conformation, forming an arch or crescent pretty com- 

 plete. It attains nine feet in length. 



The females and the young are covered with unequal 

 spots, generally angular in shape, and spread irregularly 

 over the whole body. The specimen whence our figure 

 was taken, was very much darker in colour than the 

 male. 



The osteological characters of this species are not known. 

 Lepechin seems to describe it as having four incisors in 

 each jaw, and six cheek-teeth with three points ; but the 

 Baron has observed, that his description of the dentition 



