OCEANIC MAMMALS 435 



SYNONYMS: Phoca antarctica Thunberg, Mem. Acad. Sci. St. Petersbourg, vol. 3, p. 



222, 1811; Otaria peronii Desmarest, Encyclop. Meth., Mammalogie, p. 250, 1820; 



Arctocephalus delalandii Gray, Proc. Zool. Soc. London, 1859, p. 107 (Cape of 



Good Hope) ; Arctocephalus nivosus Gray, Ann. Mag. Nat. Hist., ser. 4, vol. 1, p. 



219, 1868 (Cape of Good Hope); Arcto-cephalus schist-hyperoes Turner, Journ. 



Anat. and Physiol., ser. 2, vol. 2, p. 113, 1868 (Cape of Good Hope). 

 FIGS.: Gray, 1859, pi. 69; Sclater, W. L., 1900, vol. 1, figs. 34, 35; Shortridge, 1934, vol. 



1, 4 pis. opposite p. 204. 



While there seems some doubt as to the strict applicability 

 of the name pusilla to this species, it is generally assumed that 

 it was given to a South African specimen; the next available 

 name, and the one sometimes used, is antarctica. 



The characters of this fur seal have not been well defined. 

 According to Gray the palate is concave, "hinder aperture 

 narrow, with a rather acute, ovate anterior edge; teeth large; 

 lower jaw rather short, strong." Otherwise no characters are 

 pointed out that might distinguish it from A. gazella. Length 

 of adult male, 8 feet from nose to root of tail; an average female 

 about 4 feet 4 inches ( W. L. Sclater) . 



This seal was formerly abundant on the islands off the 

 coasts of South Africa, but W. L. Sclater (1900) wrote that by 

 the beginning of this century 4 ^the number killed of late years 

 has not been very great, as they have been nearly exterminated, 

 and it is considered very desirable to allow them to increase." 

 This wise course evidently resulted in their recuperation, for 

 at the present time there are some flourishing rookeries on 

 these coasts. The most northern breeding colony is at Cape 

 Cross, 100 miles north of Walvis Bay, on the mainland of 

 Southwest Africa, and is the only colony on the mainland. It 

 is now visited annually "by a far larger breeding colony than 

 is on any of the islands" (Shortridge, 1934). Other localities 

 are the various islands between Walvis Bay and Liideritz, 

 comprising a number of small islands, though from some the 

 seals seem to have departed. On the east coast the fur seals 

 breed as far as Rocky and Bird Islands, in Algoa Bay, and 

 occasionally are seen along the coast as far as East London. 



At one time, Lydekker wrote, as many as 70,000 to 80,000 

 skins were annually imported from the Cape to London, but 

 the number "is now much reduced." The females come ashore 

 in November to give birth to their young. Since Sclater in 

 1900 did not mention the large rookery at Cape Cross, one 

 may conclude that it has been established in later years as a 

 result of protection. 



