540 On the Habits of the Phoca. 
southern, and that the species of each of these regions are peculiar 
to itself. He inclines to apply the same principle to the cetaceous 
tribes, but in neither case has he sufficiently considered the nu- 
merous species which occur in temperate and equatorial regions. A 
proper exposition of the species of the Mediterranean and the Eux- 
ine, and their comparison, on the one hand, with those of the north, 
and, on the other, with such as are known to occur in the enclosed 
waters of the Caspian, the Red Sea, the Persian Gulf, the Indian 
Ocean, and the frozen waters of the extreme south, would prove to 
be subjects both of interest and utility. It is indeed singular that 
animals so important in the scale of creation, whether we regard their 
great economic value to mankind, their position in the system of na- 
ture, or their peculiar organization and singular habits of life, should 
hitherto have attracted so su per ficial a noti ce on the part of naturali sts.* 
Any critical observations regarding the inadequate manner in 
which the numerous foreign species have been distinguished, would 
come with a bad grace from one, who, having it in his power to 
study the habits and ascertain the distinctive attributes of the few 
which frequent our island shores, has yet failed to effect that dis- 
crimination. Something, however, is occasionally gained by calling 
attention to the fact of our being comparatively ignorant of what 
might be ascertained by many, without much exertion, and there- 
fore, while confessing that I have not yet studied the structure of 
our native kinds, and am still unqualified to assign their distinctive 
characteristics, I make no apology for offering the following brief 
notes regarding their natural habits. 
Our western islands are supposed to be frequented by three dif- 
ferent species of seal, although only two are usually recognized by 
systematic writers, t All of these have been repeatedly observed 
by my principal informant. J 
The largest of these is at least double the dimensions of either 
of the other two. It is known by the native name of Tapvaist, 
and although it associates occasionally with the other kinds, yet 
it differs in many respects in its habits. I presume it to be the 
species usually designated by our British writers as the Great 
Seal, or. Phoca barbata. It occurs occasionally along our eastern 
shores, and, from the great size of a seal shot some years ago, 
near Stonehaven, by the late Lord Cassilis, I infer it to have 
been a Tapvaist. It spreads, however, far and wide along the icy 
arctic shores. 
* Encyclopaedia Britannica, 7th edition, Vol. xiv. p. 123. 
t See note at the conclusion of this article. 
+ Mr Archibald M'Neill (of Colonsay.) 
Is frequent on the Fern Islands. ED. 
