TECHNICAL HISTORY SPECIES. 447 



ever, Phoca oceanica is referred to P. grcenlandica, and Phoca 

 fcetida, " Mull.," is substituted for P. hispida. "Phoca dubia" 

 is apparently the only new name given. Not only are all these 

 referred to Phoca, but this name is made to cover also all of 

 the Eared Seals. 



Of the 'eighteen species here formally recognized ten only are 

 valid, to which one may be added from the list of doubtful 

 species, making eleven in all, nine of which have correct specific 

 designations a great improvement upon Lesson's work of the 

 previous year. 



In 1831* Pallas, in his "Zoographia Bosso-Asiatica" (vol. i, 

 pp. 100-119), described tw r elve species of marine mammals under 

 the generic name Phoca, as follows : 1. Phoca lutris (= Enliydris 

 lutris) ; 2. Phoca ursina (== Callorliinus ur sinus) ; 3. Phoca Iconina 

 (=Eumetopias stelleri); 4. Phoca nigra ( = Callorhinus ur sinus, 

 juv.); 5. Phoca nautica (= f Erignatlius barbatus); 6. Phoca albi- 

 gena ( = Erignatlius barbattis) ; 7. Phoca equestris ( = Histriophoca 

 fasciata) ; 8. Phoca dorsata ( = Phoca grcenlandica) ; 9. Phoca mo- 

 nacha ( = Monachus albiv enter) ; 10. Phoca largha (a young Earless 

 Seal, species indeterminable); 11. Phoca canina (= Phoca mtu- 

 lina, Phoca caspica, and Phoca sibirica) ; 12. Phoca ochotensis (in- 

 determinable ; probably = P. xitulina). Of these twelve species 

 seven only are Phocids, none of which are for the first time 

 named ; two (P. nautica and P. largha) are not with certainty 

 determinable. The author himself identifies five of his species 

 with species previously described, yet in each case bestows a new 

 name. In short, Pallas's twelve supposed species of ' < Phoca " add 

 seven pure synonyms, three indeterminable species, and not one 

 tenable name to the literature of the subject. His Phoca ocho- 

 tensis (by some later authors, as von Schrenck, recognized as a 

 valid species) presents a combination of characters thus far un- 

 known in nature. His diagnosis begins " P. subauriculata", and 

 in his description he says, "Auriculae externae minutae, nigri- 

 cantes", on which account it has been sometimes regarded as 

 an Otary, but he describes the molars as "supra infraque 

 utriuque quini,'primo niinore subbicuspidato ; reliqui acute tri- 

 cuspidati, medio inajore, conico"; and also says, "Palmarum 

 ungues terrninales inagni, incurvi, robust!," etc., which certainly 

 cannot be said of an Otary. There is nothing in the account 



* The date 011 the title page is 1831, but the work seems to have been printed 

 as early as 1811. The first volume, however, is quoted by Fischer in the 

 " addenda" to his "Synopsis Mammalium", dated 1830, and is not quoted in 

 the work itself, dated 1829. 



