THE FUR SEAL OF GUADALUPE ISLAND, OFF LOWER CALl 



FORNIA. 



For many years it has been known tbat fnr-seals breed at Gnada- 

 lupe Island, where formerly large numbers were killed annually for 

 their skins. Two thousand were secured as late as 1883, since which 

 time small numbers have been taken nearly every year. Tnasnnich as 

 the Northern fur-seal {CaUorhinus nr.sinus) is not known to breed south 

 of the Pribilof Islands, but occurs in winter oft' the coast of northern 

 California and passes north in the spring, it seemed important to de- 

 termine the species of fnr-seal inhabiting Guadalupe Island. For this 

 purpose an expedition w\as sent to said island by the direction of Dr. 

 C. Hart Merriam in May, 1892, in charge of Mr. O. H. Town send, an 

 assistant of the United States Fish Commission. Seven fur seals were 

 seen near the island and one was shot by Mr. Townsend, but it sank 

 before it could be recovered. The visit was made too early in the sea 

 son to find the seals on the shore. A beach on Guadalupe Island wa' 

 A'isited where it was known that a large number of fur seals had bee^ 

 killed a few years previously and four skulls were there obtained. W^ 

 have carefnlly examined these skulls and find them to belong to a spe" 

 cies of ArctocephaluSj a very different kind of fur seal from that found 

 in Bering Sea, the well known Callorhinus ursinus. 



J. A. Allen. 



Theo. Gill. 



0. Hart Merbiam. 



586 



