612 PHOCA FCETIDA RINGED SEAL. 



as 192 mm., and their average breadth as 118 mm., which I find 

 founded on that of Steller, is as follows : " Er ist einfarbig, 

 silberweiss vom Harren, so gross als der genieine." He further 

 says: "Man findet ihm in den beiden sibirischen Landseen 

 Baikal und Oron, die weit von deni Ocean entfernt sind und 

 mit demselben durch keinem Fluss Gemeinschaft haben. a Ob 

 er vom dem gemeinen wesentlich verschieden sei, ist mir uicht 

 bekannt." * 



Nilsson refers to a specimen supposed to have come from Lake 

 Baikal as being "Braungrau einfarbig mit flasserer Farbung an 

 den untern Korpertheilen". Eadde says its color is "scho'n 

 grau (fast stahlgrau)" on the back, becoming lighter on the 

 sides, and yellowish-gray beneath, t 



" a Steller, a. o. 



* Saugth., iii, 310. The above is Schreber's account in full. 



t PHOCA (PUSA) SIBIRICA, Allen ex Gmelin. 

 Baikal Seal. 



The Seal [of Lake Baikal], BELL, Travels from St. Petersb. in Russia to diverse parts of 



Asia, "i, 1768, 261"; ibid., i, 1788, 320. 



Die virte Sorte Seehunde, STELLER, Bescbreibung von dem Lande Kamtschatka, 1774, 108. 

 Der sibirische Seehund, SCHREBER, Saugth., iii [1776?] 310 (ex Steller). 

 Phoca vitulina, /3, ERXLEBEN, Syst. Beg. Anim., 1777, 588 (ex Steller et Schreber). 

 Phoca vitulina, y, sibirica, GMELIN, Syst Nat., i, 1788, 64. KERR, Anim. King., 1792, 124. 

 2 Phoca annellata, NILSSON, Arcb. fiir Naturg., 1841, 312 (in part). 

 Phoca annellata, KADDE, Reisen im Siid. vom Ost-Sibiriens, i, 1862, 296 (in part, only tbe 



Baikal specimen). 

 Phoca baicalensis, DYBOWSKI, Arch, fiir Anat. u. Phys., 1873, 109, pll. ii, iii (skulls of adult 



and young). 



This species was apparently first mentioned by Bell (as above cited), 

 in 1763, who refers to its habits, but gives no account of its characters. It 

 was quite fully described by Steller in 1774, and was first formally intro- 

 duced into systematic zoology by Schreber about two years later, whose 

 account is based wholly on S teller's. It was cited as a variety of Phoca vitu- 

 lina by Erxleben in 1777, and named as a variety of that species by Gmelin 

 in 1788. Nilsson described a skin and an imperfect skull under Phoca annel- 

 lata in 1837, but thought it might prove to be a distinct species, and, more- 

 over, was not certain whether or not his specimen came from Lake Baikal. 

 Radde, the first naturalist after Steller who described the Baikal Seal, 

 from an authentic specimen, referred it unhesitatingly to Phoca annellata 

 (=fcetida). The single skull on which his observations were based he 

 stated to be that of a female about three or four years old, but his figures 

 of it show it to have been much younger, the principal sutures being rep- 

 resented as unobliterated. He found it to be considerably smaller than 



