Dr. J. E. Gray 07i Sea-hears. 2G5 



skull of a young Euotaria nigrescens, n. 1013 fl, in the British- 

 Museum collection. The front edge of the hinder nostrils is 

 as arched as in that specimen ; the teeth are rather more de- 

 veloped and larger than in our skull ; they have a well-marked 

 central lobe antl a distinct small acute tubercle on the front 

 edge of the cingulum. 



The two adult skulls are very like the adult skull of ^. ni- 

 gi-eseensj 1013^/, in the British Museum; but the opening of 

 the internal nostrils is narrower, and their front edge in 

 one is not nearly so angular, and in the other it is rather 

 more arched than in eitlier of the other two skulls, showing 

 that the size of the posterior nasal aperture and the form of its 

 front edge A'ary in difterent s})ecimens of this species. 



The comparison of the young skull with the more adult one 

 shows that the grinders change their position considerably 

 as regards the front edge of the hinder nasal opening. In the 

 young skull of Euotaria nigrescent the hinder end of the tooth- 

 line is very near (not a quarter of an inch from) a line level 

 with the front edge of the internal nasal opening, and the 

 hinder part of the palate in front of the aperture is nearly as 

 broad as the midille of the palate : in the adult skull the 

 hinder end of the tooth-line is a full inch from the front edge 

 of the internal nasal opening, the hinder part of the palate 

 is contracted toward the internal nostril, and the internal 

 nasal opening is lengthened and narroAved ; but the real posi- 

 tion of the teeth, as compared with the front part of the 

 zygomatic arch, is little altered, though the form of the palate 

 gives them the appearance of being more changed than they 

 really are. 



These skulls are interesting as showing that Euotaria ni- 

 grescent^ like Otaria leonina and Morunga elejjhantina, are 

 common to the Falkland Islands and tlie west coast of South 

 America. 



The chief character by Avliieh the adult f^\\\\\ oi Euotaria 

 nigrescens can be distinguished from the adult skull of Arcto- 

 cephahis DelaJandii is, that the hinder or titth upper grinder 

 and the penultimate or fourth are ])laeed rather in front of the 

 hinder edge of the front part of the zygomatic arch; but the 

 position of the teeth is most distinctive in the skull of the 

 young animal, and loses much of its importance in comparing 

 old skulls together, unless the skulls and teeth arc very 

 accurately compared I and even then the distinction is more 

 imaginary than real. 



The skull fmm the Cape of Good Hope has been described 

 and figured by Dr. Turner under the name oi Arctocephahis 

 schist/ig2)eroes, in the ' Journal of Analomy and I'hysiology,' 



