Animal Life observed during Voyage to Antarctic Seas. 351 
and elsewhere, and as specimens may be seen in the British 
Museum, in the College of Surgeons’ Museum, in the Edin- 
burgh Museum of Science and Art, and in the Dundee 
Museum, I need not delay by describing them, more than 
by saying that the longest Sea Leopard that was measured 
attained a length of over 13 feet. Also, that a rather 
striking, and not altogether inappropriate name was given to 
them by the sailors, who called them serpents, for they 
truly often presented a very serpent-like appearance. Dr 
Donald also noted that the females of the larger species were 
larger than the males; but beyond this there was no obvious 
sexual differentiation. ' 
In December all the seals were in bad condition, thinly 
blubbered, and grievously scarred, and it is noteworthy that 
the females appeared to be as freely scarred as the males. 
During January their condition improved, and by February 
they were heavily blubbered and free of scars. The males 
were apparently as numerous as the females, but I made no 
definite statistics. Loving the sun, they lie on the pack all 
day digesting their meal of the previous night, which had 
consisted of fish or small crustaceans, or both; the penguin 
is also occasionally the victim of the Sea Leopard, and I 
have found stones in their stomachs. These stones are likely 
part of the geological collection which the penguins are 
accustomed to carry about with them. Nematode worms 
were almost invariably present in the stomachs. 
By February the embryo is well developed, gestation 
probably beginning in December. It is extremely to be 
regretted that it was during this time that an indiscriminate 
slaughter took place, as almost every female, towards the end 
of January and in February, is with young. In no individual 
did I find more than one embryo. 
All the seals were obtained from the pack ice, in bluest 
and clearest water, the Sea Leopard being on the outermost 
streams, and was most frequently found singly, but some- 
~ times in pairs or threes on one piece of ice. Of Weddell’s 
False Sea Leopards, we on board the “Balena” only saw 
about four altogether, and these singly; Dr Donald, however, 
met with greater numbers. Two were quite young, and one 
of these we attempted to bring on board alive but failed. 
