204 CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. 



"I wanted a skull of this species and when Mr. Fenn; was 

 through sketching we changed places. I selected the largest ani- 

 mal in sight, which fortunately laid on top of the islet in a flat 

 place, and sent a rifle ball through the base of his skull, killing him 

 so dead that he did not even struggle. I had feared that he woukl 

 roll off and be lost. He was dark brown, except that a patch 

 about three inches by four on the forehead and the region around 

 the lips was a light yellowish gray. This light patch on the head 

 seeniied to be usual on all the light colored animals. The hairs of 

 this patch are longer than those of the remainder of the head, and 

 when dry project forward, giving a crested effect, lacking on the 

 smaller animals. 



"After satisfying our curiosity I cut off the head, which 

 proved a tough job for my pocket knife, as the skin was nearly 

 three quarters of an inch thick. We rolled the body off the rocks 

 into deep water alongside, where it sunk as quickly as a stone and 

 did not re-appear. While cutting the head off several medium 

 sized animals came quite close to- the islet as if they wanted to 

 climb on. 



"O'n our way back to camp we saw several small and medium 

 sized Sea Lions and an old male playing in the surf. The male 

 greeted us with barks and the whole group swam alongside us 

 half a mile or more, as if to show us how agile they were, ^nd how 

 easily they could run away from us if they liked. Probably their 

 motive was curiosity." 



Genus Eumetopias Gill. (Typical — broad fore- 

 head. ) 

 Molar separated from premolars by a space about as broad as 

 that occupied by a premolar; molar double rooted; premolars sin- 

 gle rooted; crowns simple; rostrum short and wide; occipital and 

 saggital crests not greatly developed, no underfur. 



Dental formula, I, 3 — 2; C, i — i; P, 4 — 4; M, i — i'X2=34. 



