44 EDWAED A. WILSON. 



not only by Dr. Racovitza, but also in the ' Southern Cross ' Report, and lastly in the 

 present publication (see Figs. 27 and 28). It is well adapted to a marine life, and, in 

 consequence, ill adapted for progression on land and ice. On the few occasions on 

 which we saw it in the pack ice, it made no effort to escape. Consequently, we can 

 say nothing as to its methods of progression. It has, as it lies on an ice floe, a most 

 peculiar pug-like expression of countenance. It was in each case excessively fat, and 

 its' head was withdrawn into the circular folds or rolls of heavily blubbered skin on the 

 neck to such an extent as almost to disappear from sight. The eyes are not large, and 

 the mouth is small for the size of the animal compared with the mouths of other 

 Antarctic seals. This one would expect from the decadence of the post-canine teeth. 

 The prominence of the forehead and throat in Fig. 28 is as characteristic as it is 

 peculiar, and results solely from the withdrawal of the head upon the neck. 



We had not the good fortune to see or hear this seal perform vocally, but 

 having constantly heard Weddell's Seals produce a variety of musical noises both 

 laryngeal and oesophageal, we could easily appreciate the excellent description given 

 by Dr. Racovitza of Ommatophoca : " Ce phoque possede aussi une aptitude curieuse 

 qui le distingue de ses congeneres. Sa voix est beaucoup plus compliquee et les sons 

 qu'il emet plus varies que ceux des autres phoques. II peut gonfler son larynx et en 

 outre sou e"norme voile de palais, de facon a constituer deux caisses de resonnance, deux 

 poches contenant grande provision d'air. Cela lui permet d'executer des trilles et 

 arpeges aussi sonores que bizarres. Lorsqu'on 1'irrite, il commence par gonfler son 

 larynx en rabattant la tete en arriere. II produit alors, la gueule ouverte, et son voile de 

 palais distendu apparaissant comme une grosse boule rouge, un roucoulement semblable 

 a celui d'une tourterelle enrouee. Puis il ferme la gueule et emet un gloussement 

 de poule effrayee. II expulse finalement avec violence, par les narines, sa provision d'air, 

 et cela produit un reniflement comparable a celui que fait un cheval qui s'ebroue." 



The flippers of Ross' Seal are large and well formed for swimming. The nails are 

 generally to be found, if carefully searched for, on each digit of both fore and hind 

 limbs, but they are all rudimentary, and wholly functionless. The fore flippers are 

 webbed to the extremities of each digif, and when spread the limb forms a most efficient 

 paddle. The hind limbs have also a very extensive spread, the first and fifth digits, in 

 particular, being flattened out and lengthened, form lobes which have a strong 

 similarity to those of Macrorhinus ; they are also, as in that seal, completely covered 

 with hair. The length of the first and fifth digits of the hind limb, compared with the 

 third or centre, is as 15 and 16 inches to 9 inches. 



The food of Ommatophoca consists of cephalopods. The beaks of cuttle-fish have 

 on more than one occasion been found in the stomach contents of this seal, and the 

 following passage occurs in a report on the Argentine Antarctic Station by Mr. 

 Rudmose Brown, of 'the Scottish Expedition (The Scottish Geographical Magazine 

 for April, 1905) : " From the number of cuttle-fish beaks found in seals' stomachs, the 

 Scottish Expedition had the strongest evidence of the existence of a large cuttle-fish in 



