18 BULLETIN OF THE 



In " Der Zoologische Garten " for January, 1870,+ Dr. G. A. Maack 

 describes bis excursion to the Cabo Corrientes on the southern coast 

 of Buenos Ayres (lat. 38° S.) for the purpose of obtaining specimens 

 of the eared seals, and his difficulties in capturing them. He states 

 that he met with both species {Arctocephalus falklandicus and Otaria 

 jubata = 0. leonina Maack) there, of both of which he secured exam- 

 ples. As these specimens had been previously described by Dr. Bur- 

 meister (1. c), Dr. Maack's observations are mainly concerning the 

 habits of the animals and the character of the locality. A figure of 

 the O.jubata is also given, but through some mistake of the artist the 

 limbs are improperly represented. The remarkable form of the nose, 

 Dr. Maack informs me, correctly represents the specimen from which 

 the figure was made. It differs greatly, however, in this respect from 

 any other eared seal that has been figured or described, and may repre- 

 sent but an individual or abnormal variation. 



In Mr. W. H. Dall's important work on Alaska f m ay be found 

 valuable notes on the fur and other eared seals of the North Pacific, 

 with a figure of the Callorhinus ursinus drawn from nature by Mr. Dall. 



In addition to the above-mentioned scientific papers, other interest- 

 ing articles of a popular character have recently appeared, but some of 

 the statements given in them are evidently not wholly reliable.}. 



In addition to the preceding summary of the more important of the 

 recent contributions to our knowledge of the eared seals, the reader is 



This mistake occurs in three consecutive synopses of the group (Cat. of Seals in Brit. 

 Mus ., 1850; Cat. Seals and Whales in Brit. Mus., 1866; Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 3d 

 Series, XVIII, 1866, — in the last case corrected, however, in the general list of errata 

 appended to the volume), and twice in each synopsis (in the diagnosis of this group, 

 called by him Arclocephalina, and in that of the genus Arctocepknlus). The correct 

 formula of the molars is, of course, | — « for a part of the species, and $ = ■£ for 

 the others. In the diagnosis of Arctocephalus given in the " Catalogue of Seals and 

 Whales " (p. 47), the molars are stated to be < ; | — 8 " ; the nlolars of thefrst, third, 

 and seventh species described under this genus are really, however, | — |, and in the 

 others fi — « 



t Vol. XI, pp. 1 - 8. 



t Alaska and its Resources, Boston, June, 1870. 



X One of the more important ones relative to the North Pacific species is a recent 

 article in the "Old and New" Magazine (Vol. I, pp. 487-493, April, 1870), by Mr. 

 0. Howes, Jr. In •Hutchin's "Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity in California" (p. 

 187, figs. 1 and 2) are also a few interesting notes on the sea lions of the Farallone 

 Islands. They contain, however, exaggerated statements, especially in respect to their 

 size. 



