36 E. BKOWN ON THE SEALS OF GREENLAND. 



these animals, part of which I communicated to the Rojal 

 Physical Society of Edinburgh in 1862 ; and an abstract was 

 published in their " Proceedings " for that year (p. 312). Having 

 some intention of preparing a more extensive work, I reserved 

 my own observations and a great portion of Dr. Wallace's until 

 such time as this might be matured ; besides, there were innu- 

 merable points in the history of the Seals which I was desirous of 

 investigating before putting any of our observations before the 

 world. However, shortly after this I left on a very long scientific 

 journey, far from the scene of our former studies, and for more 

 than four years the whole subject was laid aside. In the summer 

 of 1867 I again found myself a sojourner as far north as 70° N. lat., 

 in Danish Greenland. During this time I made a very extensive 

 collection of the skeletons, skulls, &c. of these and other animals, 

 besides adding to and correcting some of my former observations. 

 That osteological collection has not yet been examined ; but this 

 is the less important, because, so far as I was able to judge 

 during the hasty examination it was possible to give them during 

 the process of preservation, there are no new species among them. 

 Moreover the craniological characteristics of the northern Pinni- 

 ■pedia, thanks to the labours of Nilsson, George and Frederick 

 Cuvier, Blainville, Gray, Gaimard, Lilljeborg, Steenstrup, Murie, 

 and others, are now very satisfactorily determined ; and what 

 points are still sitb judice can easily be settled by an appeal to 

 the collections already in our museums, and to the one formed by 

 me when it is made accessible to science. 



.... In the following notes are combined most of my own 

 observations with selections from those of Dr. Wallace (distin- 

 guished by his name within parentheses when I have been unable 



to confirm the observation) The remarks on the species 



are prefaced by some general observations on the group. For 

 the reasons already stated, I have purposely omitted giving any 

 osteological distinctions, except in a few cases, limiting Avhat 

 descriptive remarks I may have to make to some disputed j^oints 

 regarding the very fallacious distinctive marks derived from the 

 skin. Gray's " Catalogue of Seals in the British Museum," or 

 Bell's " British Quadrupeds" (ed. 2, by Tomes and Alston), will 

 supply all that is necessary on these points. As in the previous 

 paper, I have not attempted a complete history of their habits, 

 geographical distribution, &c., chiefly limiting my remarks to 

 what has fallen within my own observation or knowledge. .... 

 The list of popular names attached to each species is the result 

 of not a little work and extensive acquaintance among the seal- 

 hunters and fishermen of tlie northern coasts. The scientific 

 synonyms are only given when no doubt existed of their appli- 

 cability, and are not intended to be a complete list. 



2. Physiological Remarks on the Habits of Seals. 



The Seal is, to a considerable extent, fitted for terrestrial pro- 

 gression, which it performs chiefly by the muscles of the trunk, 

 aided by those of the extremities. The result is a rolling, 



