THE "GENUS PUSA" OF SCOPOLL 685 



actly what lie meant, in spite of his inept diagnosis; his name 

 Pusa therefore holds, and cannot be subsequently used by 

 Okeii in a different connection."* 



An examination of the case, however, shows that Miiller's 

 plate is not "recognizable with certainty" as that of any par- 

 ticular species of Seal. Scopoli's diagnosis is simply an ab- 

 surdity, as the subjoined transcript t sufficiently shows, his 

 reference to Miiller's description and plate affording the only 

 real basis for his genus Pusa. As already stated, the figure 

 cannot be positively referred to any particular species of Seal. 

 The description given by Miiller $ records few characters that 

 are not applicable to any species of Earless Seal. Those which 

 are not thus applicable appear to relate to Phoca grypus, Fa- 

 bricius, and I so at first interpreted the description, but later I 

 found it necessary to go further back in the history of the sub- 

 ject. The plates of Miiller's work, so far as the mammals are 

 concerned, prove on collation to be very close copies of those 

 given by Houttuyn (with the exception of three that appear to 

 be here for the first time published) twelve years earlier, if, in- 

 deed, some of them were not actually printed from the same 

 etchings. Miiller says (1. c., p. 201), " Der Professor Albinusiu 

 Leiden zergliederte den 24. Februar, 1748. in Gegeuwart des 

 Herrn Houttuyns einen Seehuud, welcher Tab. XI. fig. 6. ab- 



* Fur-bearing Animals, 1877, p. 337. 



t " PVSA. Scop. Pedes antici unguiculati, postici connati in pinnam sex- 

 lobam, ad quorum origin em superne exit pinna lanceolata, horizontals. 

 Dentes incisores quatuor, cauini supra sex, infra quatuor. Auriculae nul- 

 laj. Pili breves. 



" Descriptioneru & iconeru dedit Cl. MULLERVS S. N. Tom. I. Tab. 1^1. fig. 

 6." Introdvciio ad Hisioriam NalrraJem sislens Genera Lapidcm, rianiarrm, ct 

 *Lnimalirt liactenrs delecta," etc., 1777, p. 490, genus 433. For this tran- 

 script I arn indebted to Dr. Edward J. Nolan, secretary of the Academy of 

 Natural Sciences of Philadelphia, the library of this Academy containing 

 the only copy of the work known to me as existing in this country. (Since 

 the above was written a copy of Scopoli's above-named work has been re- 

 ceived at the library of Harvard College.) 



tDes Hitters Carl von Liuue Koniglicli Schwedischen Leibarztes, &c., 

 &c., vollstiindiges Natursystem nach dor zwolften lateinischen Ausgabe 

 uud uach Anleituug des holliindischcn Houttuynischen Werks in it einer 

 ausfiihrlichen Erklilruug ausgefertiget von Philipp Ludwig Statins Miiller 

 Prof, der Natnrgeschichte zuErlang uud Mitglied der Kom. Kais. Akademie 

 der Naturforscher, &c. Erster Theil. Von den siiugenden Thieren. Mit 32 

 Kupfern. Niiruburg, bey Gabriel Nicolaus Easpe, 1773. Eine anderc Art 

 eiues Seehundes, pp. 201, 202, pi. xi, fig. 6. 



