LECTURE IV. 135 



marine. It is characterized by having teethy si- 

 milar in form and disposition to those of the order 

 Ferae : while the feet are so formed as to resemble 

 a kind of leathery fms, through which are very 

 distinctly traced the toes, which are terminated 

 by slightly lengthened nails or claws. Though 

 the whole genus Phoca is aquatic, yet it is so 

 constituted as to require occasional intervals of 

 repose, and even a considerable degree of con- 

 tinuance on dry land; forsaking at particular 

 periods the water, and congregating in multitudes 

 on the shores, on floating ice, or on insulated 

 rocks, and this especially at the season in which 

 the young are produced. The most common 

 species, or that which seems to have been known 

 from times of remote antiquity, is the Phoca vitu- 

 lina of Linnaeus, the common Seal, or Sea-Calf, as 

 it is frequently termed. It is a native of the 

 European seas, and is chiefly seen in the northern 

 regions. Its size varies, but its general length 

 seems to be from five to six feet, and its colour 

 grey or greyish brown: the head is large and 

 rounded, without any appearance of external ears: 

 the neck small and short; the parts aoout the 

 shoulders and breast very thick, the body tapering 



