No. 1. — On the Eared Seals (Otariad.e), with detailed Descrip- 

 tions of the North Pacific Species, by J. A. Allen. Together 

 with an Account of the Habits of the Northern Fur Seal (Cal- 

 lorhinus ursinus), by Charles Bryant. 



I. 



Introduction. 



The specimens on which the present essay is mainly based were 

 collected by Captain Charles Bryant, at St. Paul's Island, one of the 

 Pribyloff Group, situated near the coast of Alaska, and by him kindly 

 presented to the Museum of Comparative Zoology. They consist of two 

 perfect skins and two complete ligamentary skeletons of the Eumetopias 

 Stelleri Peters, and six perfect skins, four complete ligamentary ski de- 

 tons and two partial skeletons of Callorhinus ursinus Gray. The skins 

 were sent preserved in salt, and arrived in excellent condition. The 

 specimens of Callorhinus ursinus represent both sexes of this species 

 and the young, both in skins and skeletons ; while the notes kindly fur- 

 nished by Captain Bryant give a minute account of its habits. A 

 summer's residence at the Pribyloff Islands, as government supervisor 

 of the seal fisheries, has given Captain Bryant an opportunity of be- 

 coming thoroughly familiar with the habits of these interesting animals, 

 and the description lie has given of them shows that he made a good 

 use of his opportunites. His notes, given in full, form part second of 

 the present paper. In addition to the specimens collected by Captain 

 Bryant, I am indebted to the Smithsonian Institution and the Chicago 

 Academy of Sciences for the opportunity of examining skulls of Zalo- 

 phus Gillespii and Otaria jubata. I have also in this connection to 

 make acknowledgments to Dr. Theodore Gill of Washington for various 

 suggestions and other acts of kindness. 



The only previous account of tiie Northern fur seal which lias any 

 great importance is that given by Steller, nearly a century and a quar- 

 ter ago, and the observations of Krasheninikoff, published a few years 

 later in his History of Kamtcliatka. Krasheninikoff's account, how- 

 ever, was doubtless wholly or mainly derived from Steller's note-. The 

 remarkable accuracy of Steller's account, considering the time when it 



VOL. II. 1 



