21 
Museum, wliere it was deposited on September Utli, 184G, as the 
eranium of tlie “ Marbled Seal.” 
On comparing this .skull with such figures and descriptions of 
the crajiia of seals as 1 had access to, I found it differed from 
them all— notably from that of Fhoca vituUnu, in liaving the 
molar teeth arranged in a straight series, instead of each tooth 
being placed obli(piely in the jaw, as in that species ; the front 
part of the skull, too, was more depressed, and the ramus of the 
lower jaw differed considerably in forin ; although evidently 
belonging to a fully adult animal it dillered from all, in being con- 
siderably smaller. Under the.so circumstances I asked Profes.sor 
Houers a.ssistance, who kindly offered hj insjiect the skxdl, and 
the result of his e.xamination was that, notwith.standing the ex- 
tremely worn state ot the teeth, rendere.d sjiecilic identification by 
means of these most marked features impossible, yet he was deeidetlly 
of opinion the cranium was that of the small arctic s])eeies, known 
as Pkoca hisphla (0. Fab.), Phocn Mhhi (Mull), Pa,iomys 
Jwhdus (Gray), the Kinged Seal or Floe-rat of the Northern 
Whaler.s.* 
Although this species is not recorded as having been met with 
on our shore.s in the present day, it is cpiite ])os.sible that it may 
occasionally occur and pass unrecognized ; that it was fretpient on 
the coast of Scotland at one period, there is evidence in the 
abundance of the remains, referred to this species by Professor 
Turner,! ’^'liich are found in the glacial clays of that country, 
from the presence of which he argues a degree of cold ivlien these 
deposits were formed much more rigorous than at present. 
Its chief habitat now seems to be the high latitudes of the 
Arctic Seas, especially parallels 76" and 77" north ; in Davis 
Straits it is found all the year round, particularly up the ice-fjords; 
many, however, are said to be killed in South Greenland. They 
have several times been received at the Gardens of the Zoological 
Society, where I saw a pair a short time since, and in May, 1868, 
a young one was produced there by a female which Avas with 
young when brought to the Gardens. These specimens are 
A verj minute description of this skull and an exhaustive synonymy of 
the si>ecies hy Professor Flowtr, will be found in the proceedings of tlie 
Zoological Society of London, for .Tune 6th, 1871, pp. 506—12. 
+ “Journal of Anatomy and Pliysiology,” May, 1870, pp. 260—70. 
