MUSEUM OF COMPARATIVE ZOOLOGY. 19 



referred to three recent systematic synopses of the family for an expres- 

 sion of the later opinions relative to the genera and higher groups of 

 the three eminent zoologists who, within the last four years, have pub- 

 lished special classifications of these animals, as no tabulated summary 

 will properly represent them. These are Dr. Gill's " Prodrome," * 

 Professor Peters's revision f of the genera and species, published in 

 186G, and Dr. Gray's synopsis \ of the " tribes and genera," published 

 in 1869. 



2. On the Affinities, Distinctive Characters, and Synonymy of the 

 Family OtariaDjE, with Remarks on Sexual, Aye, and Individual 

 Variation, and a Conspectus of the Genera and Sjjecies, etc. 



Family OTARIAD^l Brookes. 



Phocacea auriculata Peron, Voy. Terr, austr., II, 37, 1816. 



Otariada Brookes, Cat. Anat. and Zool. Mus., 36, 1828. 



" Otaride's Gervais, Hist. Nat. des Marnmiferes, II, 305." 



Otariidce Gill, Proc. Essex Institute, V, 7, 1866. 



Otariada Gray, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 3d Ser., XVIII, 228, 1866. 



Otariina Gray, Ann. of Phil., 1825. 



Arctocephalina Gray, Charlesworth's Mag. Nat. Hist., I, 583, 1837. 



" Turner, Proc. Lond. Zool. Soc., 1848, 88; Ann. and 



Mag. Nat. Hist., 1st Ser., Ill, 422, 1848. 

 Otaria Peron, Voy. Terr, austr., II, 37, 1816. 



" Peters, Monatsb. Akad. Berlin, 1866, 261, 665. 



Distinctive Characters. — Body less attenuated than in the majority of 

 the Phocidm ; more attenuated than in the Rosmarida>. Fore limbs fin- 

 like, situated very far back. Hind limbs comparatively free ; hind feet 

 directed forward when the animal is at rest, and serviceable for terres- 

 trial locomotion. The digits terminate in long cartilaginous flaps, con- 

 nected at the base by membranes. Bones of the upper and fore-arm 

 and corresponding bones of the leg very short, exceedingly stout and 

 heavy. The digits of the hand successively decrease in length from the 

 first ; without nails, or with extremely rudimentary ones, situated at a 

 distance from the edge of the hand. Outer digits of the hind limbs 

 longer than the middle ones ; the latter sub-equal, and provided with well- 

 developed nails ; the outer digits without nails or with very rudimentary 

 ones, and much shorter and thicker than the inner digits. Pubic bones 



* Proc. Essex Institute, Vol. V, pp. 7, 10, 11. 



t Monatsb. d. k. P. Akad. z. Berlin, 1866, p. 670. 



t Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 4th Series, Vol. IV, p. 269. 



