GENERA OF SEALS 45 3 



the shoulders and extends to the thighs. Like the other Seals 

 mentioned, the young are white when first born. As may l)e 

 inferred from its scientific name this species is also Arctic in 

 range. It is also a rare visitor to these shores. 



The genus Cystopliora is the only other genus of which there 

 is a British representative. It is called the Hooded Seal on 

 account of an iniiatable sac upon the face, with which it is said 

 to attempt to terrify its enemies. The genus has an incisor less 

 in each half of each jaw than Phoca and Halichoerus. Its 

 fornmla is 1 1- while these genera are Loth 4- C. cristata is a 

 large species reaching a length of 10 feet. The colour of the 

 back is dark grey with deeper coloured spots. A few individuals 

 only have been recorded from our coasts. 



StenorJiynchus ( = Ogmorhinus) is an Antarctic genus. Tlie 

 hind -feet are clawless. The incisors are |^. The molars have 

 an additional cusp, i.e. three in all. 



The genus Leptonyx with but one species, L. ivcddelli, is purely 

 Antarctic in range. Like the last genus it has two incisors, and 

 has but rudimentary claws upon the hind-feet ; the first and fifth 

 toes moreover are the longest. The genus chiefly differs from 

 the last in the simple conical crowns of the molars, which have 

 not the additional cusps of StenorhyncMis. 



Ommatophoca is another Antarctic genus with but a single 

 species, 0. rossi. In this genus the hind-feet have no claws, and 

 the first and fifth toes are longer than the others. The claws of 

 the fore-feet are rudimentary. The immense size of tlie orbits 

 gives the name to the genus. There are two incisors, and the 

 molars are all very small. 



Monachns is a northern genus inhabiting the Mediterranean 

 and tlie Atlantic in the vicinity of Madeira and the Canary 

 Islands. It lias rudimentary nails upon both pairs of feet. 

 The first and fifth toe of the hind-feet are longer than the 

 others. As with tlie preceding genera, the incisors are two in 

 each jaw. The species are M. alhiventer, the Monk-Seal, and 

 ]\r. tropicalis, the Jamaica Seal. 



Allied to Cystophora is the genus 3Iacrorhinus, witli (possibly) 

 two species, of which one is Antarctic, the other frequents or 

 frequented the coast of California. The incisors are two in 

 the upper jaw, and but one in the lower. The premolars are 

 four and the molar one ; all the teeth are small and simple, but 



