416 FAMILY PHOCID^E. 



boscidea, Peron = Phoca leonina, Linne, 1758). Of tliese genera 

 two are synonyms, Stemmatopus being antedated four years 

 by Gystophora of Nilssou, and Pelayius* two years by Mona- 

 clms of Fleming, in each case the two later names being the 

 exact equivalents of the earlier ones. Yet Stemmatopus and 

 Pelagius had for a time considerable currency, particularly with 

 French and English writers. The name Stenorliynclius was 

 doubly preoccupied for genera of Articulates, and was thus un- 

 tenable in its present connection. Callocephalus, as originally 

 used by its author, and later for some years by him and others, 

 embraced not only Phoca vitulina, but also fcetida, yrcenlandica, 

 and barbata, as well as numerous nominal species referable to 

 these. In this connection it should be noted that nothing was 

 now left to represent the old Liumieau genus Phoca, which thus 

 became wholly set aside. In 1827 Grayt proposed the genus 

 Mirounga (later changed by him to Morunga\], including under 

 it Phoca cristata, Erxl., and Phoca proboscidea, Peron, besides 

 three nominal species referable in part or wholly to the latter. 

 In 1830 Wagler renamed this genus Rhinophora (type, "Phoca 

 proboscidea. Peron"). Dr. Gray, in 1837, || proposed the genus 

 Leptonyx for Lesson's "Otaria weddelli", which has been since 

 generally current for that species, but with which, however, some 

 authors (as Wagner, 1846, Giebel, 1855) have associated the 

 Monk Seal of the Mediterranean and all the Antarctic Phocids, 

 except the Sea-Elephant. The name, however, is antedated by 

 Leptonyx, Swainson, 1832, applied to a genus of birds, and is 

 hence untenable as used by Gray and others for a genus of Seals. 

 In 1844 Dr. Gray introduced four additional genera among 

 the Phocidce, which have since been more or less commonly 

 adopted, either in a generic or subgeneric sense. These are 

 Pagophilus (introduced originally as "a subgenus of Callocepli- 

 alus") for the Harp Seal (Phoca yrcenlandica); Lobodon (type, 

 Phoca carcinopliaga, Homb. and Jacq.) for the Antarctic Crab- 

 eating Seal, and Ommaiophoca (type, 0. rossi, n. sp.), based on 

 a species from the Antarctic seas here first described. He at 

 the same time revived the Linnreau name Phoca, separating the 



* This name is variously written by different authors, as Pclagias, Pelagios, 

 and Pelagius. 



t Griffith's Aiiim. Kiugd,, vol. v, p. 179. 



JList Osteolog. Spec, in Brit. Mus., 1847, p. 33 (species, " Morunga ele- 

 pliantina"). 



Natur. Syst. Auiph., 1830, p. 27. 



|| Charles worth's Mag. Nat. Hist., vol. i, 1837, p. 582. 



