86 Mr. R. Hamilton on the Fur Seal of Commerce. 



The hind flippers are rhomboidal in their shape, and consist 

 of the fleshy portion, and a membranous addition, which at its 

 termination is divided into five strap-hke processes ; there are 

 nails on all the toes but the great one, those of the three 

 middle toes being much the largest and quite straight ; there 

 is a curious slashing at the junction of the common skin and 

 the membrane, — the skin covered with hair descending to the 

 nail, whilst the membrane runs up between the toes more 

 than an inch. The coat or robe is composed of hair and fur ; 

 the former is very soft, smooth, and compact, of a brownish 

 black colour towards the root, and a greyish white towards 

 the tip ; it extends considerably beyond the fur, and gives the 

 general colouring to the hide : the fur itself is of a uniform 

 brownish white colour above, and of a somewhat deep brown 

 beneath, and is quite wanting on the extremities. The colour 

 of the body is of a uniform whitish grey above, passing gra- 

 dually underneath into a reddish white colour, which is deep- 

 est in the abdominal region. The upper portion of the ex- 

 tremities is covered above with a very short brownish black 

 hair, which near the body passes into the colour of the back. 

 The under portion of both extremities — to the extent of | of 

 the anterior, and nearly the whole of the posterior — are naked, 

 being quite destitute both of hair and fur. The whiskers are 

 brownish black, five rows being present. In one of the spe- 

 cimens there is a dark marking under the eyes. We shall 

 here subjoin the principal measurements of these Edinburgh 

 specimens. 



ft. inch. lin. 



Length from the snout to the tip of the tail S 3 



of the tail 1 



of the ear 1 



from snout to anterior edge of the base of the paw 15 6 



from posterior edge of paw to the root of the tail 1 5 6 



' of fore paw from base to tip OHO 



of its membranous portion 4 



Greatest breadth of fore paw at base , 4 



its tip 1 8 



Length of posterior extremity from base to tip 7 



of its membranous portion , 2 



Breadth across the back, from the base of one paw to that of "1 - ^ „ 



the other J 



Distance from tip of snout to the ear 5 G 



The angle of the mouth is in the perpendicular of the eye. 



