Miscellaneous, 483 ' 



ther the sexual and agamic reproductions are strictly confined to 

 different individuals or generations. 



"With regard to the other two groups of Ann elides in which 

 agamic reproduction has hitherto been observed, namely the Syllidea 

 and the Serpulidea, the question is nearly in the same position. 



For these reasons the Society wishes to induce a thorough inves- 

 tigation, in accordance with the present requirements of science, of 

 agamic reproduction and of all the points relating to it in one of the 

 groups of these setigerous Annelides. It therefore offers its gold 

 medal as a prize to any one who shall solve this question in a satis- 

 factory manner, either for one or several species of the group of 

 Naids (including Chcetogaster), or for one or several species of Syl- 

 lidea or tubicolar Annelides. The memoirs must be accompanied 

 by the necessary drawings, so as to elucidate the points to which 

 the investigations have been specially directed. 



The memoirs in answer to this question must be sent in before 

 the end of October 1873, addressed to Councillor Japetus Steenstrup, 

 Secretary of the Society. They may be written in Latin, French, 

 English, German, Swedish, or Danish. The memoirs must not bear 

 the names of the authors, but must be furnished with mottoes ; and 

 each memoir must be accompanied by a sealed packet bearing on 

 the outside the same motto as the memoir, and enclosing the name, 

 profession, and address of the author. The value of the gold medal 

 is stated at 450 francs. 



The Ears of Sea-lions and Sea-bears. By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S. &c. 



Dr. Peters, in his ' Revision of the Eared Seals' (Otaria), used the 

 length of the ears as a subgeneric and specific character; but, as 

 only preserved skins of these seals were to be observed and compared, 

 I had very little faith in the characters taken from those parts, as I 

 know by experience that the variation of the length and size of the 

 ears and the length of the lobes of the fins is produced by the manner 

 of preserving the animals, even by the most careful taxidermists. 



In the Zoological Gardens there are now two species living, Avhich 

 are the sea-lion from the Falkland Islands (Otaria juhata) and a 

 sea-bear or fur-seal {Arctocephalus antarctica) from the Cape of 

 Good Hope. The latter, my granddaughter informs me, has the ears 

 more than an inch long, the ears of the sea-bear being very much 

 more developed and larger those of the sea-lion ; but I do not know 

 whether this may be a generic distinction or a specific peculiarity. 

 These remarks are confirmatory of Dr. Peters's observation of the 

 skins ; for he describes the ears of the subgenus Otaria (juhata) as 

 short, 15 or 20 millims., and the ears of his subgenus Arctocei>halus 

 and some of the other subgenera as longer. Do the elongated 

 palate and the short ears of the sea-lion and the long ears and short 

 palate of the sea-bear characterize the groups ? 



