578 PHOCA VITULINA HARBOR SEAL. 



jaws of three specimens ; the most perfect specimen has part 

 of the orbit and the upper part of the brain-case attached to 

 it. They are all from very young specimens, of nearly the 

 same age ; and, unfortunately, the most perfect one is without 

 the hinder portion of the palate, so that one cannot make sure 

 that it has the same form of palatine region that is found in 

 Pagomys ; but the part of the side of the palate that is present, 

 when compared with the same part in Pagomys, leads one to 

 think it most likely to be of the same form as in that species. 



a The general form and size of the face, and the form of 

 the teeth are those of a skull of Pagomys fcetidus of the same 

 age. It only differs from the latter in the lower jaw being rather 

 shorter and broader, in the grinders being larger, thicker, and 

 rather closer together, in the central lobe of the grinders being 

 considerably larger, thicker, and stronger, and in all the lobes of 

 the grinders being more acute. The lower margin of the lower 

 law is dilated in front, just as in Pagomys fcetidus ; but the jaws 

 behind the dilatation diverge more from each other, leaving a 

 wider space between them at the hinder part. The form of the 

 hinder angle of the Jaws is very similar in the two species. The 

 orbit is rather smaller and more circular ; for in P. fcetidus it is 

 rather oblong, being slightly longer than wide. The forehead ap- 

 pears, as far as one can judge by the fragments, to be flatter and 

 broader, and the nose rather shorter." Dr. Gray also adds, in his 

 diagnosis Qf the species : " The lower jaws short and broad ; 

 the grinders thick, with a broad, thick central lobe, and nearly 

 side by side (in the skulls of the young animals)." He also 

 gives comparative measurements of a skull of a young P. fcetidm 

 and of P. nummularis, but with a good series of young skulls 

 of the former ? from the foetal stage upward, I fail to fully under- 

 stand his measurements. 



" The Phoca nummularisf Dr. Gray continues, "has been con- 

 sidered to be identical with Phoca Largha of Pallas, from the 

 east shore of Kamtschatka, the Phoca Chorisii of Lesson, and 

 the Phoque tigre of Kraschennenikow (which has been named 

 Phoca tigrina by Lesson), on the strength of their coming from 

 nearly the same district ; but I am not aware that specimens of 

 any of the latter species exist to verify the union and determine 

 what are the species described under these names."* 



Although neither Temminck nor Gray makes any reference 



*Proc. Zool. Soc. Lond., 1864, pp. 31, 32; Cat. Seals and Whales, 1866, pp. 

 24, 25. See also Gray's " Hand-List of Seals," etc., 1874, p. 6. 



