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Show 606 DR. J. MURIE ON PHOCA GROXNLANDICA. [June 23, an accession, inasmuch as gradation of limb-use is most easily traced throughout the Carnivore series. Take the Common Seal; and its limb-appendages on land are but of slight subservience to progression, the fore paws only occasionally being used among rocks. In the Harp and Bladder-nose Seals, the fore iegs and paws, and, to a very moderate extent, the hind limbs are freely brought into action. Among the Otaries there is a very decided plantigrade mode of walk, the heels, however, being much restricted as to change of position. With a very similar style of walk and canter, the Walrus has more freedom of motion, from the extremities being less fixed. It is but an easy step to the Bears, flat-footed and moderately free-legged. A still further modification in manner of walk and limb-forms leads on through the Otters and Binturong to the more agile digitigrades, the Cat tribe. For an excellent notice of the variation of colour, geographical range, migrations, &c. of this species of Seal, see P. Z. S. 1868, p. 416. The author, Mr. Brown, since the present plate was drawn, has called m y attention to a very characteristic illustration of hundreds of these animals among the pack-ice, in the Swedish Expedition to Spitzbergen*. I was glad to find the artist has shown that the attitudes here noticed in confinement are precisely those P. grcelan-dica exhibits in a state of nature. Being ignorant of Swedish, I unfortunately cannot refer to the text. It was not until I had well thought over this paw-creeping movement of the Northern Seal that I fully appreciated an incident related to me by m y friend Mr. Charles Davidson, which he had been witness to in one of his arctic voyages. At more than a mile distance from their ship a solitary Seal was noticed lying dosing near an " escape-hole" on the ice. An Esquimaux thereupon, in his seal-skin garment and hood formed quite like the head of the animal he was in pursuit of, and with lance and rope-coil, slowly crawled towards the creature. For a while it apparently took little notice of him, but at last showed indications of being on the alert. The man by this time was still far off; but the moment he observed the Seal watching him, he advanced perfectly Seal-fashion, and whilst it steadily gazed, evidently mistaking him for one of its species, as he at times imitated to very life every phocine movement, he approached within a very short distance. Then suddenly starting up he sent his lance whirling into the creature's vitals ere it could scramble in safety to the blow-hole. Without further digression I may state that from time to time, as the Greenland Seals succumbed to the changed conditions of confinement, I took the opportunity of examining their anatomy. I particularly made it a point to dissect the fleshy and tendinous structures, which I thought by organization would explain those peculiarities of land-progression above-mentioned. I was fortunate in being able to compare, side by side, the bodies of P. vitulina and P. grcenlandica, and also placed before me some * " Anteckningar o m Djurlifaet i ishafvet snellan Spetsbergen och G-onland." Af Aug. Quennerstaedt. Kongl. Svenslia Ak. Handl. 18G8, Band vii. no. 3, p. 12, Taf. i. fig. 1. |
