,o Sonthcru Cross. 



rh,nus an.l Lrplon,,rl>ofrs, an.l thus to Monachus in the inclination 

 of the .•xtornal nares a.ul in the fact that the auditory meatus opens 



t.xU'nially u"«l ""t iM.steriuily. , , , i 



My view <.f the various r.'latiouships Nvill he best shown by means 



of the foHowini,' .lia^'mm :— 



STENORHYNCHINAE. 



N^^<!ySTOPH0RrNAE . 



r.y this arranijement the rhocinae are shown as the least, the 

 Ciistophnrinac as thti most, specialised sub-family. Between them 

 lie tiie Slrnorlii/ncJmiae, with Monachus and Leptonychotes, both 

 n-st'inliliii;,' the Phocinac, at the top, and Ommatophoca, with its 

 strong Cystophorine leanings, at the base of the tree. Connecting 

 »'"•--.• are OifmorliinuH and Luhodon, in some respects showing 

 •laufes both to Leptonychotes and to Onimatophocct ; in other 

 resjH'et.s, as in their dentition, they are the most highly specialised 

 inemticrs of the whole family. 



It will lx> seen that 1 am not inclined to impute importance to 



such as the large orbits of Ommatophoca, or to the presence 



of claws on the hind-llippers. Stress has been laid on 



• cliaracters, and Lqttonychotcs and Lohodon have been 



:ie«l on the ground of the total absence of claws on the hind- 



i the former. The orbits of Ommatophoca are, however, not 



hir-^rr than those of Cysfophora and of other Seals, while a careful 



.•\:iiiiiMation of th<' undricd skins has revealed the presence of a 



