Bibliographical Notices. 59 



imperfectly understood branch of zoology ; and, secondly, by de- 

 voting as much space as my limits would permit to the considera- 

 tion of the animals whose products are of such commercial value to 

 man, and whose extinction would so seriously affect his interests, 

 and to point out the pressing necessity that exists for devising pro- 

 tection for the fur-seals and the sperm and right whales of the 

 Southern Ocean." 



This work is far more than its title and cheap price would lead 

 one to expect. It is a scientific and popular account of all known 

 seals, whales, and dolphins, far more complete than any English or 

 Continental work that I am acquainted with. 



The catalogues of the British Museum are the basis of the 

 work, as far as regards the recent species ; the observations on the 

 history and habits of the animals are very well compiled ; and we 

 look forward to the continuation of the work with great pleasure. 

 I will make two suggestions to the author. 



I think it is to be regretted that the author of this work, intended 

 for the use of schools, should have occupied so much space with 

 giving the synonyms of the species, a subject very interesting to 

 scientific zoologists, but of no importance to even advanced pupils. 

 Secondly, it would be much better if the author, who evidently has 

 little practical means of judging for himself, placed more confidence 

 in the descriptions from real specimens. 



In his account of the southern fur-seals, for example, which is a 

 subject particularly interesting to the Australians, he has been 

 misled by Mr. Allen's observations, when describing some seals of the 

 Northern Pacific, into believing that all the southern fur-seals 

 belong to one species, while Mr. Allen admits that at the time he 

 wrote he had not examined a single fur-seal from the southern 

 hemisphere, but thought thej- were all one species ; whereas I have 

 come to a different conclusion, having under my care two stuffed 

 skins, five unstuffed skins, and two skulls otAirtocej^halus antarctlcus 

 from the Cape of Good Hope, four stuffed skins and four skulls of 

 Arctocephalus nvjrescens from the Falkland Islands, a skull of 

 Arctocephalus cinereus from New Zealand, a stuffed specimen and 

 a flat skin oi Arctocephalus falMandicvs from the Falkland Islands 

 (which Mr. Scott has done me the honour to call A. Grayi), and two 

 stuffed skins and two skiills of Gypsophoca tropicalis from North 

 Australia ; and I believe that if Mr. Allen had had the opportunity 

 of examining these specimens he would have changed his opinion. 

 While the author puts all these seals under two names, he describes 

 as new a " top-knot seal " from Patagonia xmder the name of Arcio- 

 cephcfJus eidophus, from the notes of a sealer! 



It is to be observed that not only do the species above mentioned 

 differ in the form of their skulls, and in general size, proportion of 

 parts, and colour, but also the skins from the Falkland Islands, Aus- 

 tralia, and the Cape bear different prices in the market, and arc at 

 once known bv the funnonger. — J. E. Gray. 



