Notes on Antarctic Seals. 69 



1. LEPTONYCHOTES WEDDELLI. Weddell's Seal. 



(Plate II.) 



Weddell's Seal is found in great numbers on the coast of South 

 Victoria Land, and is the species most commonly met with in Boss's 

 Sea. At almost the farthest southern point reached by the Southern 

 Gross Expedition these Seals were numerous, and even in a piece of 

 water south of the edge of the Great Barrier, which apparently com- 

 municated under ice with the sea, a number of them were found 

 (c/. Borchgrevink, ' First on the Antarctic Continent,' p. 286).^ 



Kot a single Weddell's Seal was met with in the pack-ice by the 

 ' Southern Cross,' and the numbers which were found on landing at 

 Cape Adare are mentioned by Mr. Hanson as belonging to a species 

 not liefore met with by him (c/. infra, p. 93). 



Weddell's Seal is therefore a shore Seal, and it remained through- 

 out the winter with the party which was landed at Cape Adare. 



Mr. Bruce confirms this view of the distribution of the two 

 Sea-Leopards when he says that they were the most rare species in the 

 pack-ice about Louis Phillipe Land : and since, in speaking of Boss's 

 Seal there can be little doubt that Mr. Bruce is describing the new 

 coat of the Crab-eater (Lohodon), the former species may, without 

 doubt, be added to the two Leopard-Seals, and all three classed as 

 rare in the pack-ice. The only common Seal in the pack is the 

 White Crab-eater {Lohodon), and the only common Seal on the 

 coast-line of the Antarctic regions is Leptonychotes weddelli. 



Weddell's Seal was the only species found breeding in any con- 

 siderable numbers by the ' Southern Cross ' Expedition. Some dead 

 young Seals were found buried in guano at Camp Eidley on Cape 

 Adare, but apparently no Weddell's Seals breed there now, though in 

 Ptobertson Bay, close by, a large number of them were breeding, and 

 many young v/ere born. Three fcetal Seals of this species were 

 brought home in spirits by the ' Southern Cross ' with the membranes 

 and placenta more or less intact. 



Two quite small specimens were taken from the mothers on 

 March 25th and March 29th. Both were females and measured but 

 28 centimetres in length. The third specimen was taken from the 

 mother on May oth and measured 45 centimetres in length. This 

 was a male, and it showed the typical marking of Leptonychotes, 

 though no hairs were visible to the naked eye, save on the face and 



' Although many examples of this Seal were killed by the members of the 

 expeditiou, and several presei-ved, only a single specimen has reached the British 

 Museum. — R. B. S. 



