422 FAMILY PHOCIDiE. 



ence is uecessary, since these descriptions became later the basis,. 

 in part or wholly, of various systematic names. 



As early as 1741 the Harp Seal and the Crested Seal were 

 figured (or caricatured) by Egede* under the names respectively 

 of SvartsUde and Klapmiits. He says in the accompanying- text 

 tliat Seals are of different sorts and sizes, but have all the same 

 shape, except the Klapmiits, which is the onlj- species he ex- 

 pressly distinguishes in the text. Ellis,t in 1748, again rudely 

 figured these two species under the names "Blackside Seal" 

 and ' Seal Avith a Cawl". Although he gives of them no descrip- 

 tions, subsequent systematic writers have seen fit to cite the 

 names and figures given by both these writers, but their interest 

 is purely historic. 



The same year (1748) was also published in Anson's " Voy- 

 age "| the first specially important account of the Southern Sea- 

 Elephant (" Sea Lion" of Anson), since it became later the basis- 

 of Linne's Phoca leonina, and, besides, is one of the fullest and 

 most explicit descrii^tions of the habits of the species extant. 



Steller, in his memoir entitled " De Bestiis Marinis", published 

 in 1751, distinguished three species of Seals as follows : "Dis- 

 tinguo autem phocas ratione magnitudinis in tres species, in 

 maximam, quae magnitudine Taurum superat, ac solummodo in 

 oceano Orientali a gradu latitudinis 56. ad 59. occurrit, ac in colis 

 i Kamtschaticis Lachtak vocatur. Mediae magnitudinis, quae om- 

 nes Tigridum instar, multis exiguis maculis variae sunt, 3. in- 

 flmae magnitudinis, ut Oceanica, quae tam in mari Balthico, 

 quam circa portum Sti Archangeli, in Suecia, Norwegia, Amer- 

 ica et Kamtschatkacaiutur, etlacustris dulciura aquarum mono- 

 chroa sen unicolor, ut Baikali ea coloris argentei." The first 

 two of the species here thus briefly mentioned, have been quoted 

 by Schreber, Erxleben, Gmelin, and by some later writers, as 

 respectively, '-'Phoca maxima., Steller" (also ^'Lachtak, Steller"), 

 and ^^ Phoca oceanica, Steller," the first being referred to Phoca 

 harhafa, and the other sometimes to Phoch vitulina aiul sometimes 

 to Phoca grcenlandica. 



In 1744 Parsons published a paper entitled "Some Account 



*Det gamle Gr0iilancTs nye Poilustration, ellerNatural-Historie, og Besk- 

 rivelse overdet gamle Gr0nlan(ls Situation, Luft, Temperament og Beskaffen- 

 hed, etc. 1741. Plate facing p. 40. He also figures the common Seal nnder 

 the name Spraglet. 



t A Voyage to Hudson's Bay, etc., 1748, plate facing j). 134. 



t A Voyage around the World in 1740-1744, p. 172. 



Nov. Connn. Acad. Potrop., toui. ii, p. 290. 



