I 3 
leading to the Cornua is a great Hole. I have .annexed 
a Drawing of this Part, as it is very Particular. 
I refer the Society to the under-mentioned Au- 
thors for the other Properties of this Animal ; fuch as 
their Love to their Young, their manner of Copula- 
tion, Inconftancies to their Females, Virtues in the 
Skin of preferving Perfons from Thunder, who carry 
Part of it, as Suetonius relates of Auguftus Cafar y 
who dreaded it very much; and alfo of fuch Confent 
between the Skin of this Animal and the Sea, that 
although it be dried and kept in the moft fecret 
Place, whenfoever the Sea is much difturbed, the 
Hairs rife up upon the Skin, and lie fmooth when it 
is calm ; with many other Particulars, which (if not 
fabulous) are very curious. 
The Authors necefiary to be read upon this Ani- 
mal, are Ariftotle , 'Pliny , Aldrovandus , Rondeletius> 
Gefner , Wolfgangius , Johnfton. 
As to the particular Figures of the Animal, that of 
Aldrovandus tezms to have been taken from a (luffed 
Skin, having the hinder Feet like a Fifh-Tail, and 
not at all like the Creature, Rondeletiuss Figure has 
as little Truth' as the former y and that given by 
Gefner in his Corollary on Rondeletius , is worfe than 
any ; having the Fore-parts upright like a Sphinx 
This laft Author has another Figure of the Phoca , 
which is rather like a Lump-fjh , and alrnoft tri- 
angular : Thefe could never convey a juft Idea of the 
Creature to fuch as delight in Natural Hiftory, which, 
I hope, I have made fome amends for in my Figure 
annexed to this Account (fee Tab. I.) ; having taken 
it from the living Animal with the utmoft Care, and 
D d d 2 ^vhich 
