206 CALIFORNIA MAMMALS. 



Length of adult males about seven feet; female about four 

 feet. 



Type locality, Bering Sea, North Pacific Ocean. 



The only present known breeding grounds of the Northern 

 Fur Seal are the Pribilov or Fur Seal Islands of western Alaska, 

 where Fur Seals are more or less abundant from June until No- 

 vember. The remainder of the year is spent in a great migration 

 in the open sea, passing southward, eastward, northward and 

 northwest to the breeding grounds again. Their great oval course 

 brings them off the northern coast of California in early spring, 

 though few are seen as far south as off the Farallones. When 

 California was first settled by the whites Fur Seals were occasion- 

 ally found on some of the islands and at a few localities on the 

 mainland, but whether these were of this or the following species 

 is not now known. 



Genus Arctocephalus Cuvie:r. (Bear — head.) 

 Skull similar to that of Zaluphns but with smaller occipital 



and saggital crests; molariform teeth six above and five below:; 



pelage with abundant underfur. 



Dental formula, I, 3 — 2; C, i — ^i ; P, 4 — 4; M, 2 — 1X2^36. 



Arctocephalus townsendi Merriam. (For Chas. H. 

 Townsend. ) 



GUADALOUPE FUR SEAL. 



There are no skins of this species in any scientific collection 

 and the species is definitely known only from the skull. There 

 are four weatherworn skulls in the National Museum, only one 

 being reasonably perfect. Dr. Merriam contrasts tliem with skulls 

 of the Southern Fur Seal from the Galapagos Islands, finding the 

 skull of tozumsendi to be smalter ; rostrum shorter ; nasals shorter, 

 etc. 



Type locality, Guadaloupe Island, Lower California. 



Tbe Guadaloupe Fur Seals are known to still occur in very 

 small numbers at the Guadaloupe Islands. It is believed that they 

 formerly occured on the Santa Barbara Islands, and there is a 

 bare possibility that they may be found there again. 



