256 Transactions. — Zoology, 



untrustworthy by the injudicious record of species founded on 

 imperfect specimens, on characters due only to age and sex, 

 and to reliance having been placed on hearsay evidence. For 

 commercial purposes the following classification may be con- 

 sidered sufficient. 



I. Eared Seals (the Otarias). 



These, like land mammalia, have a direct communication 

 through the integument from the organs of hearing, and have 

 also an external ear-lobe, which enables them to appreciate 

 the direction from which they receive sounds. 



These are again divided into — 



A. Hair-seals, or Sea-lions, which are covered with long 

 coarse hair and have no under-fur, and are therefore ODly 

 commercially valuable for the production of oil, and formerly 

 as food and clothing. 



B. Fue-seals, or Sea-bears, which have an under-fur as 

 well as a clothing of long hair, both of which are cast and 

 renewe&each summer, so that the skin of the animal when 

 taken at the proper season is of value asa " pelt " or furrier's 

 material. As food they are so inferior as not even to have 

 been used by the aborigines. 



II. Earless Seals (the Phocas). 



The common varieties of the North Atlantic, such as the 

 Greenland seal, the harbour seal, crested seal, &c, belong to 

 this group, but they are not represented in the southern 

 seas. 



This group is known by the following Antarctic representa- 

 tives : — 



A. Sea-leopards, which are large spotted seals covered 

 with coarse hair ; but, not being gregarious in their habits, 

 although abundant and widely distributed, having no commer- 

 cial value. 



B. Sea-elephants. These are massive, unwieldy, and 

 gigantic animals, which have a very restricted distribution, 

 being confined to the islands in the extreme south. They are 

 chiefly prized for the large quantity and fine quality of oil 

 which they produce. 



III. Walruses (the Sea-pigs). 



These are valuable for their oil, and for their ivory, which, 

 though inferior to elephant ivory, is used for the same pur- 

 poses. The evidence of the actual existence of a southern 

 walrus is at present founded only on hearsay report, but it is 

 very probable that when the great Antarctic islands and 

 ice-floes, as yet unvisited, are explored, not only this but other 

 novel forms will be found. 



