GENERAL HISTORY AND SYNONYMY. 



581 



species inhabits the Antarctic Sea. The specimen was obtained 

 on the 10th of March at Desolation Island. It appears from 

 the teeth to be an adult, and is the most perfect specimen 

 brought home by the expedition." Notwithstanding this ex- 

 plicit statement of locality and date of capture, it is undoubt- 

 edly erroneous. Dr. Gill, in 1866, first called attention to the 

 probable error, and says, "The i Haliclioerus antarcticus^ of Peale, 

 very erroneously identified with Lolodon carcinopliaga by Dr. 

 J. E. Gray, is a typical species of Phoca, but appears to be 

 identical with a species occurring along the California and 

 Oregon coasts, and consequently there must be some error as 

 to its original habitat in the Antarctic seas. I am happy to add 



FIG. 46. " Halichcerus antarcticus", Peale=Phoca vitulina, f natural size, 



that Mr. Peale himself now doubts the correctness of the labels 

 on the faith of which he gave its habitat, and as a change of 

 name is desirable, I would propose that of P. Pealii."* Having 

 had opportunity of studying the type .of the species, and of com- 

 paring it with a good series of skulls and skins of the common 

 species of Phoca of the Pacific coast of the United States, I 

 have not the slightest doubt as to the correctness of Dr. Gill's 

 interpretation of the case. 



Both in 1850 and in 1866 Dr. J. E. Gray included Peale's H. 

 antarcticus among the synonyms of Lobodon carcinophaga, with 



* Proc. Essex Inst., vol. v, 1866, p. 4, footnote. 



