Article XXXIV. THE HAIR SEALS (FAMILY PHO- 

 CIDJ&) OF THE NORTH PACIFIC OCEAN AND 

 BERING SEA. 



By J. A. ALLEN. 

 Figs, i 10. 



CONTENTS. 



Introduction 459 



Nomenclature 461 



The generic name Phoca 461 



Specific names 462 



Sexual differences in dentition in Phoca vitulina 467 



Comparison of the Atlantic and Pacific forms of the Phoca 471 



vitulina group 471 



Cranial differences 471 



Dental characters 471 



Supernumerary teeth 473 



The North Pacific Phocidae (with descriptions of new forms). . . . 473 



INTRODUCTION. 



Among the mammals collected by Mr. N. G. Buxton and 

 Mr. W. Bogoras in northeastern Siberia, on the Jesup North 

 Pacific Expedition, are specimens of three species of Hair 

 Seals. An attempt to identify these has rendered necessary 

 their comparison with such other material from northeastern 

 Asia and northwestern North America as could be brought 

 together, so that the present paper may be considered as a 

 preliminary revision of the seals of the family Phocidae known 

 to occur in the North Pacific. Although the material avail- 

 able for examination is scanty, it is sufficient to show 

 that the name Phoca largha Pallas, as recently misapplied, 

 includes at least three species, the proper identification of 

 which involves the consideration of difficult questions of 

 synonymy. 



In this connection it gives me pleasure to acknowledge my 

 indebtedness to Mr. Gerrit S. Miller, Jr., Curator of Mammals 

 in the U. S. National Museum, for kindly securing for me the 



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