1 902.] Allen, North Pacific Phocida-. 4^3 



ochotensis Pallas, 1811; (3) Phoca tigrina Lesson, 1827; (4) 

 Phoca chorisi Lesson, 1828; (5) Phoca nummularis Tem- 

 minck, 1842; (6) Halichcerus antarcticus Peale, 1848; (7) 

 Halicyon richardii Gray, 1864; (8) Phoca pealii Gill, 1866; (9) 

 Halicyon ? californica Gray, 1886. Only five of these names 

 Phoca largha Pallas, Phoca ochotensis Pallas, Halichcerus 

 antarcticus Peale, Phoca nummularis Temminck, and Hali- 

 cyon richardii Gray are entitled to serious consideration. 



The Phoca tigrina of Lesson was based on the 'Phoque 

 tigreY figured by Kraschenninikow in his ' Histoire de Kam- 

 tschatka ' as inhabiting the coast of Kamschatka, and may 

 be either of three very distinct species of spotted seals now 

 known to inhabit this coast, and is therefore unidentifiable. 



The Phoca chorisi of Lesson, founded on a figure by Choris, 

 published without any descriptive detail (Voy. Pittoresque, 

 plate viii), of his 'Chien de mer de Detroit de Behring,' is like- 

 wise indeterminate. 



Phoca pealii Gill is a synonym of Halichcerus antarcticus 

 Peale, the latter being an avowed substitute for Peale 's name. 



Gray's Halicyon? californica, based on the "Hair Seal, 

 Phoca jnbata" of Hutching (Scenes of Wonder and Curiosity 

 in California, p. 189), has of course no standing. 



Taking up the other names in chronological order, the first 

 is the Phoca largha of Pallas, which has of late been revived 

 for the large spotted seals of the North Pacific, and used, as 

 the present material shows, for the designation of several 

 quite distinct species. Pallas 's Phoca largha is, however, un- 

 identifiable and therefore not available for any of the species 

 to which it has been applied. His description, 1 based on an 

 imperfect skin, which lacked the head, is not diagnostic, there 

 being no indication of the size of the animal, nor mention of 

 any character that may not apply to any of the several species 

 of spotted seals found along the coast of Kamschatka. He 

 gives the Russian name as 'Nerpa,' and says that it is also 

 called 'Largha' on the eastern coast of Kamschatka. Ac- 

 cording to Mr. Buxton's notes, the name Nerpa is applied, 



111 P. capite corpore supra nitide albente, maculis nigris ovalibus sparse." 



Zoog. Rosso-Asiat., I, 1811, p. 133. 



