GENERAL HISTORY AND SYNONYMY, 



581 



species inhabits the Antarctic Sea. Tlie specimen was obtained 

 on the 10th of March at Desolation Island. It appears from 

 the teeth to be an adult, and is the most perfect specimen 

 brought home by the expedition." Notwithstanding this ex- 

 l)licit statement of locality and date of capture, it is undoubt- 

 edly erroneous. Dr. Gill, in 18GG, first called attention to the 

 probable error, and says, "The ^Halicliocrns antarcficm'' of Peale, 

 very erroneously identiliod with Lohodon cardnophaga by Dr. 

 J. E. Gray, is a typical species of Fhoca, but appears to be 

 identical with a species occurring along the California and 

 Oregon coasts, and consequently there must be some error as 

 to its original Itabitat in the Antarctic seas. I am happy to add 



Fig. 46. "Halichoerus antarcticus", l'eak'=Plioca vitulina, 1 natural size. 



that Mr. Peale liimself now doubts the correctness of the labels 

 on the faith of which he gave its habitat, and as a change of 

 name is desirable, I would propose that of P. Pm^ii."* Having 

 Iiad oj^portunity of studying the type of the species, and of com- 

 paring it with a good series of skulls and skins of the common 

 species of Fhoca of the Pacific coast of the United States, I 

 have not the slightest doubt as to the correctness of Dr. Gill's 

 interpretation of the case. 



Both in 1850 and in 186G Dr. J. E. Gray included Peale's H. 

 antarcticus among the synonyms of Lohodon carcinophaga, with 



* Proc. Essex Inst., vol. v, 1866, p. 4, footnote. 



