Zoology.'] NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. {Mammalia. 



Plate 71. 



EUOTARIA CINEREA (Peron sp.). 



The Australian Sea-Bear or Fur- Seal. 



[Genus EUOTARIA (Gray). (Sub-kingd. Vertebrata. Class Mammalia. Order Ferae, 

 Section Pinnipedia. Fam. Phocidas. Sub-fam. Otarinse.) 



Q Q 



Gen. Char. — Incisors, ; upper outer ones very large, like canines ; four middle ones 



small, and with cutting edges doubled by a transverse groove ; lower ones small, sub-equal, 



simple. Canines, ; large, conic. Molars, ; triangular, pointed, compressed, with a 



1 — 1 5 — 5 



small cusp at base, behind or before, or both ; sixth or hind molar entirely behind the hind 

 margin of front of zygomatic arch, with anterior branch of fang arched, diverging to front ; the 

 fangs of fourth and fifth imperfectly divided by a sulcus. Skull depressed ; of males, broad, 

 with the occipital portion elevated and becoming crested with age ; that of females narrower, 

 not so elevated behind, and with- little or no occipital crest ; palate extending to middle of 

 zygoma. Head blunt. Anterior limbs falcate, with four or five rudimentary nails ; hind hmbs 

 bent forwards when resting or walking, with long nails on three middle toes, and very small 

 ones on the two outer toes. Body tapering, tail short. Males larger and with proportionately 

 larger limbs than the females. Hair rather coarse, with scanty or no under-fur at base.] 



Thinking it desirable to visit the actual locality in Western Port 

 Bay, where the French voyagers with Quoy and Gaimard originally 

 found the type specimen of this species, still in the Paris Musemn, 

 I last year went out in a small steamer from Phillip Island to the 

 smaller island on which these Seals abound in the breeding season. 

 The coast is so rocky, and the surf so dangerous that it is only on 

 rare occasional days that a landing can be safely made, and on this 

 occasion it was quite impossible to do so. On looking with a good 

 binocular, one could soon make out that the greater number of what 

 looked like brown, bare, rounded rocks over the surface of the 

 island were really Seals. On the steam whistle being blown they 

 all started up, and, with the precise action of a flock of crowded 

 sheep driven by a dog, they awkwardly galloped in a confused 

 cluster, jumping up on those in front in their hurry to get down to 

 the sea, into which most of them plunged ; a few old large males 

 alone standing their ground, well raised up on their bent fin-like legs, 

 as in our plate, with their broad breast to the foe, and head raised, 

 threateningly showing their teeth, and erecting the hair of the 

 neck angrily, like a short mane. After a little while, scores of the 

 females and younger males came swimming out to our little vessel 



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