466 Bulletin American Museum of Natural History. [Vol. XVI, 



specimens of nearly the same age." He compares these frag- 

 ments with the corresponding parts in Phoca fcetida and says : 

 "The general form and size of the face, and the form of the 

 teeth, are very similar to those of a skull of Pagomys fcetidus 

 of the same age." He adds that "the grinders " are " larger, 

 thicker, and rather closer together, the central lobe of the 

 grinders being considerably larger, thicker, and stronger, and 

 all of the lobes of the grinders being more acute." Gray's 

 comparative measurements of Phoca fcetida and P. nummularis 

 show that the latter is very much smaller than P: fcetida and 

 indicate a species much below the size of any species of Phoca 

 known to me. The name Phoca nummularis, therefore, cannot 

 apply to any of the species represented by the material here 

 under consideration. All that we thus far know of Phoca 

 nummularis points to a species very similar in coloration to 

 Phoca fcetida, but smaller and with heavier dentition features 

 which may characterize a species of seal found in Japan, and 

 still practically unknown, and certainly not known to occur 

 elsewhere. 



The next name in order of date is Halichcsrus antarcticus 

 Peale. As long since pointed out by Dr. Gill (Proc. Essex 

 Inst., Vol. V, 1866, p. 4, footnote), "The Halichcerus antarcti- 

 cus of Peale ... is a typical species of Phoca" ; and he 

 adds that it "appears to be identical with a species occurring 

 along the California and Oregonian coasts, and consequently 

 there must be some error as to its assigned habitat in the 

 Antarctic seas. I am happy to add that Mr. Peale himself 

 now doubts the correctness of the labels on the faith of which 

 he gave its habitat [Desolation Island], and as a change of 

 name is desirable, I would propose that of P. pealii." I have 

 examined this skull, 1 but cannot quite agree with Dr. Gill in 

 his determination of the species. It is a rather young skull 

 and apparently a female, but in one important particular it 

 does not agree with the Harbor Seal occurring along the 

 Pacific coast of the United States. Since, however, it does 

 agree with the Atlantic coast form, the name must be synony- 

 mized with Phoca vitulina. Where the skull actually came 



1 See Hist. N. Amer. Pinnipeds, 1880, pp. 580, 581, figs. 44, 46. 



