Till; HIIUJON SEAL AND WEST INDIAN SEAL. 67 



stales that tin- Ks.iuiinaux .wholly dejxMid upon it for their winter food, und von Schrenck alludes 

 to tin- great importance of this annual to the natives of Amuor Land. 



28. THE RIBBON SEAL. 



<li M:I:AI, HISTORY. The first account of the present species was published by Pennant, 

 under the name "Rubbou Seal," in the first quarto edition of his "History of Quadrupeds," in 1781 

 (vol. ii. p. :c':5). 



(iKoiii.-AiMiH'AL DISTRIBUTION. According to Pallas, the present species, flititrioplioca fan- 

 fiiiin (Xiinin.) (Jill, occurs around the Kurile. Islands and in the Oehotsk Sea. Von Schrenck states 

 that Hi. \Yosncssenski obtained specimens that were killed on the eastern coast of Kamtehatka, 

 and tliat he himself saw skins of examples killed on the southern coast of the Oehotsk Sea, where, 

 however, I he species seems to be of rare occurrence. He further states that it occurs also in the 

 Gulf of Tartary, between the island of Saghalien and the mainland, but apparently not to the 

 southward of that island, the southern point of which (in latitude 40 X.) he belieres to IMJ the 

 southern limit of its distribution. Mr. Dall secured specimens taken at Caj>e I Ionian/oil'.' Captain 

 Seammon states, "It is found upon the coast of Alaska, bordering on 13ering Sea, and the natives 

 of Omialaska wognize it as an occasional visitof to the Aleutian Islands. . . . The Russian 

 traders who formerly visited Cape Unman/oil', from Saint Michael's, Norton Sound, frequently 

 brought back t lie skins of the male Uintrinphoca^ which were used for covering trunks and for other 

 ornamental purposes." This writer also states that ho "observed a herd of Seals upon the teaches 

 at Point Reyes, California," in April, 1852, which, " without close examination, answered to the 

 description given by Gill" of the present species. Probably, however, a "close examination" 

 would have shown them to be different, as 110 examples are yet known from the California!! coast, 

 and the locality is far beyond the probable limits of the habitat. Its known range may, therefore, 

 be given as Bering's Sea southward on the American coast to the Aleutian Islands, and on the 

 Asiatic coast to the island of Saghalien. 



HABITS. Almost nothing appears to have been as yet recorded respecting the habits of the 

 Ribbon Seal. Von Schrenck gives us no information of importance, and we search equally in rain 

 for in format ion elsewhere. All of the four specimens obtained by Wosnessensk; were taken on 

 the eastern coast of Kamtchatka, at the month of the Kamtchatka River, about the end of March. 

 According to the report of hunters, it very rarely appears at this locality so early in the season, 

 being not often met with there before the early part of May. The natives use its skins, in common 

 with those of other species, for covering their snow-shoes. 



27. THE WEST INDIAN SEAL. 



GEOGRAPHICAL DISTRIBUTION. Respecting the present geographical distribution of the 

 West Indian Seal, Monachux tropicalix Gray, I am indebted for valuable information to Mr. R. W. 

 Kemp, who, under date of "Key West, Fla., April 29, 1878," wrote me as follows: "Some two or 

 three years ago there were two seen near Cape Florida. It was supposed that they had strayed 

 from some of the Bahama Islands, as there are some few to be found in that vicinity. I am 

 informed by reliable parties that Seals are to be found in great numbers at the Anina Islands, 

 situated between the Isle of Pines and Yucatan. One of my informants says that as he was sailing 

 about the islands lishing and wrecking, he and his party discovered a number of Seals on one of 

 them, and went ou shore to kill some, merely 'for fun.' On Hearing the shore the Seals got into 



'Tbe National Musi-urn poaeemea four fiue .s|H-i-iiii>>ns, to <>l>iaim-<l by Mr. Dull, in !-*>. ami twn li> Mr. K. W- 

 Nelson, a* well as several large poaches, each made <( nu i-min- "kin of ibis nix-rii-s by tlus Eskimo*. 



