682 GENUS HALICHCEKUS. 



from St. Michael's, Norton Sound, frequently brought back the 

 skins of the male Histriophoca, which were used for covering 

 trunks and for other ornamental purposes." This writer also 

 states that he "observed a herd of Seals upon tlie beaches at 

 Point Eeyes, California," in April, 1852, which, "without close 

 examination, answered to the description given by Gill " of the 

 present si^ecies. Probably, however, a "close examination" 

 would have shown them to be different, as no examples are yet 

 known from the Californian coast, and the locality is far beyond 

 the probable limits of its habitat. Its known range may, 

 therefore, be given as Behring's Sea southward on the Amer- 

 ican coast to the Aleutian Islands, and on the Asiatic coast 

 to the island of Saghalien. 



Habits. Almost nothing appears to have been as yet 

 recorded respecting the habits of the Ribbon Seal. Von 

 Schrenck gives us no information of importance, and we 

 search equally in vain for information elsewhere. All of the 

 four specimens obtained by Wosnessenski were taken on the 

 eastern coast of Kamtschatka, at the mouth of the Kamt- 

 schatka River, about the end of March. According to the re- 

 ports of hunters, it very rarely appears at this locality so early 

 in the season, being not often met with there before the early 

 part of May. The natives use its skins, in common with those 

 of other species, for covering their snow-shoes. 



Genus HALICHCERUS, Mlsson. 



Ralichocrus, Nilsson, "Faun. Skaud., i, 1820, 377." Type, Jlalichocrtis grisetis, 



Nilsson = P/toca grypus, Fabricius. 

 Pusa, Gill (ex "Scopoli, 1777"), Johnson's New Univ. Cycl., iii, 1877, 1226 



(not Pusa, Scopoli, which was based on Phoca fcetida). 



Dental formula as in Phoca. Molars conical, as broad as long, 

 with very small accessory cusps when young, all single-rooted, 

 except the last lower and two last uj^per ones. Facial i^ortion 

 of the skull greatly developed, forming nearly half the length 

 of the skull, and very broad broader at the base of the zygo- 

 matic process of the maxillary than the brain-case. Interorbital 

 bridge thick, high; orbital fossse large ; brain-case very small, 

 forming less than one-third of the length of the skull, instead 

 of nearly oiie-half, as in Phoca, Erignathus, Cystophora, etc. 

 Strongly developed sagittal and occipital crests in old age in 

 the males. 



