On the Skulls of Antarctic Seals : Scottish National Antarctic Expedition. 

 By William S. Bruce, LLD.. Director of the Scottish < leeaiiouraphiral Lahora- 

 tory. (With Five Plates.) 



(MS. received March 13, 1013. Ur.-ul .M;i\ 5, 1!)I3. I.-siinl si-i>;iv;iK-ly Jinn- -21, 1913.) 



Although the osteology of . \nt.-in-l ie. seals has been very completely discussed, 

 notably by the late Dr J. E. GI:AY, Sir WILLIAM TURNER, and Professor ROBERT 

 THOMSON, yet the literature regarding the subject is somewhat scattered. I have 

 therefore considered that it might be important from the point of view, as it were, of 

 an index to publish a complete series of photographs of a set of the skulls of seals 

 taken by the naturalists of the S<-<>t/ during the Antarctic voyage of 19<>- 1904. 



The species considered are : 



1. Li'ptonychote.s Weddelli (Gill) : The Weddell Seal. 



'2. Stenorhynchus fi-jituni/.i- (K. Cuvier) : The Sea-leopard. 



3. Lobodon cardnophaga ((Iray) : The Crab Kater, or White Antarctic Seal. 



I. Ommatophoca /i'<w.s-/ (tlrav): The 1 loss Seal. 



5. Otaria jultata (Forster) : The Patagonian Sea-lion. 



The type collection of the seals' skulls taken by the Scotia naturalists are chiefly 

 housed in the Anatomical Museum of the University of Edinburgh, and in the Scottish 

 Oceanographical Laboratory; those housed in the Anatomical Museum of the Uni- 

 versity of Edinburgh have been duly recorded in Sir WII.LIAM Ti HNER'S excellent 

 descriptive catalogue entitled Marine Mammal* in tlic Anatomical Muxcuni of the 

 University of Kdinhnn/h ; while Professor ROBERT THOMSON, of Cape Town Uni- 

 versity, has contributed a paper to the Transactions of tin 1 /t//<tl Society of Edinburgh 

 entitled " Osteology of Antarctic Seals," which also appears in the Scientific Itrjiurls 

 of the Voyatjc of S. Y. " Scotia," volume iv. 



Beyond this it is unnecessary to say more at the present time, except to refer to 

 the plates published herewith. It will be observed that the skulls of the species of 

 each seal are shown from every possible aspect : 



From (1) The posterior aspect. 



(2) The anterior aspect. 



(3) The lateral aspect. 



(4) The inferior aspect without the Irnver jaw. 



(5) The inferior aspect with the |n\\er jaw. 

 (5) The superior aspect of the lower jaw. 



(f>) The superior aspect. 



(UKI'1UNTKI> FIUiM THE TUAXS.\,T|. > V- )f THE KOVAI, Sui/lETY of Khl.N'UI/KUII, Vol.. XI.IX., I'l'. :!!.'>, Sit!.) 



