SoiifJicru Cross. 



lljn.uulioin tin- wiuur. As to llic luoiilL ul" ihu Seals Mr. Borchgievink 

 »iiii|'Iy n-iiiarks (p. SHi') : " Tlio moultin-'- starts on the back, in a 

 Klnu;,'lu lino from ikksc to tail." 



As It) the mi'jrutorii vioremmts, if any, on the part of the Seals, 

 wf Imvi' j)ractically no evidence. Mr. Hanson is silent on the subject, 

 and Mr. IV.rchjs'vevink'.s remarks certainly do not help us as to the 

 f.\i8lence of any extensive mifpration. 



Classification, Relationship, &c. — In dealing with the 

 ' • iiitK- riivcidin, it i.s hardly possible to escape from the difficult 

 «j... .-lions of classification and relationship. I am, however, fortunate 

 in this respect to be able to follow in the footsteps of zoologists like 

 Uie late Sir William Flower, Dr. St. George Mivart, and Sir 

 \N*illiam Turner.* They have entered into the matter rather fully, 

 and I feel little reason to depart from their conclusions, although 

 1 was in duty bound to verify them for my own satisfaction. 



The number of the incisor teeth has usually been taken as the 

 ninst convenient feature upon which to base a classification of the 

 rh'-'iilac. It seems, however, at first sight a somewhat artificial 

 ppMcediiig to attach so much importance to a single character, 

 esjK.'cially as such great divergences occur amongst the teeth in 

 this family. I therefore set to work to ascertain if any other 

 more natural character should be forthcoming. My inquiry was 

 without success, and I am bound to say that there is no character 

 which agrees so well with the known facts of distribution as does 

 that of the number of the incisor teeth. Adopting this, we have 

 three clearly defined groups, of which one, the Phocinae, includes 

 nearly all the northern forms, another, the StenorlujncUnae, nearly 

 all the .southern, with the addition of the tropical and sub-tropical 

 Mmachvs, while the third, the Ci/stojihorhina^ includes the geo- 

 jfraphicttlly separated, l)ut certainly allied, Cystophora and Macro- 

 rhinm. No other character would gi^•e such clearly defined groups. 

 To take the shape of the teeth, for instance. Here all kinds of 

 intennetliate forms exist, from the feeble organs of Ommatophoca 

 U. the extraordinary and highly specialised instruments of Lohodon 

 or of (hjmurliinm. Further, on this basis, the little Phoca hispida 

 of Arc-tic waters would find its nearest relative in the giant Antarctic 

 Ojmorhinus, since the teeth of the one are miniatures of those of 

 the oth.r Mureov.T. if tlniie be any meaning in the prevalent 



. Sir Willia... n.av.r (RZ.S. LSWl, pp. 145-1G2) ; Dr. Mivar 

 ' «<• ;'('!), and Mr. U. N. Turner (P.Z.S. 1848, pp. G^ 



t 

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