PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 417 
Vol. VI, No. 27. Washington, D.C. April 11, 1884. 
When the Tunisian Government was about sending its collection to 
Philadelphia in 1875, Sir Richard Wood very liberally offered to send | 
this mosaic, which he had originally intended to present to the British 
Museum. It was packed with great care, and the steamship companies 
were earnestly begged to give directions to have it handled with every 
precaution. It was, however, a trying moment when the heavily iron- 
bound case was opened, for it was feared that it would be found to con, 
tain nothing but a mass of small parti-colored stones. It was, therefore- 
a surprise as well as gratification to find the mosaic intact. 
Its dangers, however, were not yet over, for after it was put in its 
place in the exhibition it was subject to the attacks of greedy visitors, 
who made determined, and occasionally successful, attacks upon it for 
the purpose of obtaining mementos. 
After the close of the Centennial Exhibition it remained on deposit in 
the ‘‘ Permanent Exhibition” until Sir Richard Wood, with graceful 
courtesy and liberality, presented it to the National Museum at Wash- 
ington, where it is to be hoped it will long remain, a unique and valu- 
able relic of the most ancient and renowned republic in the world’s his- 
tory. 
Pisa, February 19, 1883. 
ON THE SKELETON OF PHOCA (HISTRIOPHOCA) FASCIATA, ZIM- 
MERMAN. 
By FREDERICK W. TRUE, M. S., 
Curator of the Department of Mammals. 
The National Museum is at present in possession of an interesting 
series of specimens of the Ribbon Seal, consisting of four skins, three 
skulls, and a single skeleton. The two finest skins—that of a female of 
advanced age (13285) and that of an adult male (13284)—were obtained 
by Mr. William H. Dall in 1880, in Plover Bay, East Siberia. The 
skeleton of the female was preserved, and forms the principal basis of 
this paper. 
In addition to this material there are also in the Museum a skin and 
two much broken skulls of young males, one of which (13364) was ob- 
tained by Mr. E. W. Nelson at Cape Romanzoff, Alaska, in May, 1880; 
the other (13363) at Cape Prince of Wales in the autumn of 1879. 
There is, besides, in the Ethnological Department of the Museum, a 
skin of the species under consideration, in the form of an Eskimo bag. 
The external characteristics of the Ribbon Seal are quite well known. 
The sexes differ widely in color, the male being black, with a yellowish 
white band surrounding the fore limbs, and passing over the back, while 
Proc. Nat. Mus. 83 27 
