320 REPORTS OF BERING SEA COMMISSION. 



Pro fe s 8 o rfessor FloAVGr, savs: "The fur-seals or sea-bears 



Flower. -^ 



form a transition from the Fissiped 

 [terrestrial] Carnivora to the seals 

 When on land the hind feet are turned forward 

 under the body, and aid in supporting and mov- 

 ing the trunk as in ordinary mammals . . 

 As might be inferred from their power of walk- 

 ing on all fours, they spend more of their time 

 on shore, and range inland to greater distances, 

 than the true seals, especially at the breeding 

 time, though they are always obliged to return 

 to the water to seek their food. They are gre- 

 garious and polygamous, and the males are 

 usually much larger than the females."* He states 

 further: "The resemblance between the skull 

 and other parts of the body of the fur-seals 

 and the Ursoid \i. e., bear-like] Carnivora is sug- 

 gestive of some genetic relationship between the 

 two groups, and Professor Mivart expresses the 

 opinion that the one group is the direct descend- 

 Distinction be- ant of the Other." All the fur-seals have con- 



tweeu lur-seals 



and iiuir seals. gpicuous external ears, similar to those of most 

 terrestrial mammals, except that they are folded 

 lengthwise to keep out the water. The hair seals 

 have no external ears. It may be added that 



'Article Maininalia, in the Encycloprodia Britaniiica (1883, p. 

 442) ; and again in his most recent work on Mauuiials (FloTrer 

 and Lydckker, Introduction to the Study of Mammals, London, 

 1891, pp. 593, 594). 



