ARCTOCEPHALUS. 127 



Dimensions. Adult males up to ten feet ; females much 

 smaller. 



Habitat. South and West Australia ; Japan. 



References. Gould, Mamm. Austr. iii. pi. xlix. ; Quoy & 

 Gaimard, Voy. Astrolabe, Zool. i. p. 95, Atlas, 1833, pis. xiv., xv. 



Note. Gilbert, writing to Gould, says, speaking of some thirty 

 years ago : " This animal is extremely numerous on all the low 

 islands of the Houtmann's Abrolhos, particularly those having 

 sandy beaches ; but it does not confine itself to such places, being 

 often found on the ridges of coral and madrepores, over which we 

 found it very painful walking, but over which the seals often 

 outran us. On many of the islands they have been so seldom 

 (perhaps, indeed, never before) disturbed, that I frequently came 

 upon several females and their young in a group under the shade 

 of the mangroves ; and so little were they alarmed, that they 

 allowed me to approach almost within the reach of my gun, when 

 the young would play about the old ones, and bark and growl at 

 us in the most amusing manner ; and it was only when we struck 

 at them with clubs that they shewed any disposition to attack us 

 or defend their young. The males, however, would generally 

 attack the men when attempting to escape ; but, generally speak- 

 ing, the animal may be considered harmless, for even after being 

 disturbed, they seldom attempt to do more than take to the water 

 as quickly as possible." 



In the Prodromus of the Palaeontology of Victoria (dec. v. 

 pis. xli., xlii.) Prof. McCoy figures, under the name of Arcto- 

 cephalus ivilliamsi, a fossil Seal from the Pliocene of Victoria 

 obtained at Queenscliff and Cape Otway. Referring to this 

 Allen remarks : " The skull figured, which he (i.e. McCoy) refers 

 to as an ' old male skull ' bears a close resemblance to the skull 

 of a female of Zalophus lobatus, from which, judging from his 

 description and figures, it does not very materially differ. 



Genus II. ARCTOCEPHALUS, F. Cuvier (1824). 



Molars f , triangular, pointed, and compressed, the last entirely 

 behind the hinder edge of the zygomatic process of the maxillary. 

 Muzzle slender, elongated, and pointed. 



1. ARCTOCEPHALUS PORSTERI, Lesson, sp. (1828). 

 Australian Sea Bear. 



In the adult male the entire upper surfaces are dark brown, 

 the belly, limbs, tail and lips chestnut ; the female is of a gener- 

 ally lighter coloration. The young are blackish-brown above, 

 with the muzzle and throat yellowish, and the belly rust color. 



