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XV. A Differ tat ion upon the Clafs of the 
Phocas marinse, by James Parlons M. D. 
R R. S. 
Read Feb. i4.T"]S[ February 174.2-3, I had the honour 
X to give this learned Society fome ac- 
count of the fea-caif, which was fhew’d at Charing- 
crofs at that time, which I often faw whilft alive, 
and afterwards opened it. It is printed in the 496th 
number of the Tranfa£tion% p. 383. 
There is alfo now in town a feal (another fpecies 
of phoca) alive ; which gives occalion to my taking 
farther notice of this clafs of animals, that the So- 
ciety may have a clear idea of their differences, and 
great variety ; and alfo be undeceiv’d with refpedd to 
the fex of this, which is now in town. 
All the fpecies of phoca , this being the generical 
. name, have among them a very great likenefs to each 
other, in the fhape, not only of their heads, but alfo 
of their bodies and extremities. They are webbed 
nearly alike, are alike reptile, viviparous, bringing 
forth, fuckling, and fupporting their young alike ; 
and, in fine, ail have the fame title to thefe appella- 
tions, phoca , *1 ritulus marinus , fea-cow , fea-lion , &c. 
and thefe names are vulgarly given to them, as their 
lize happens to be greater or fmaller 5 and the firft 
of thefe names from or, according to Dr. 
Charleton, from /Sam?, Signifying a noife, or kind of 
grunting, which they all at fome times exhibit. 
As to the fex of this prefent creature, the owner 
reports it to be female. Now that , which I have 
already 
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