10 



Sonthern Cross. 



rhinus and Leptonychotes, and thus to Monachus, in the inclination 

 of the external nares and in the fact that the auditory meatus opens 

 externally and not posteriorly. 



My view of the various relationships will be best shown by means 

 of the following diagram : — 



STEN ORHVNCHINAE . 



.^^^YSTOPHORfNAE . 



By this arrangement the Phocinac are shown as the least, the 

 Ciistoijliorinac as the most, specialised sub-family. Between them 

 lie the Stcnorliynchinae, with Monachus and Leptonychotes, both 

 resembling the Phocinac, at the top, and Ominatophoca, with its 

 strong Cystophorine leanings, at the base of the tree. Connecting 

 these are Ogmorldnus and Lohodon, in some respects showing 

 resemblances both to Leptonychotes and to Ommutopihoca ; in other 

 respects, as in their dentition, they are the most highly specialised 

 members of the whole family. 



It will be seen that I am not inclined to impute importance to 

 characters such as the large orbits of Ommatophoca, or to the presence 

 or absence of claws on the hind-flippers. Stress has been laid on 

 both these characters, and Leptonychotes and Lohodon have been 

 distinguished on the ground of the total absence of claws on the hind- 

 flippers in the former. The orbits of Ommatophoca are, however, not 

 larger than those of Cystophora and of other Seals, while a careful 

 examination of the undried skins lias revealed the presence of a 



