Lesson and Garnot, Voyage de la Coquille. 119 



" brRvibus et ovalibus : merabranis rubro-nigris ; interfemorali villos^, 

 ** infra nuda : pilis tergi luteis, pruinosisque, abdominis brunneo-luteis, 

 " rostri croceis," is remarkable for the variety of colours which decorate 

 its fur. Its length is twenty lines, that of its tail fifteen, and extent of 

 its expanded wings eight inches. As in the Vesp. nigrita, Grael., two 

 incisor teeth are deficient in its upper jaw. It differs from the Vesp. 

 lasiurus, a North American species, which it seems to represent in 

 nearly the same latitudes in the southern part of the New World, in 

 being larger, in its members being proportionally more developed, in its 

 tail being proportionally one half longer, and in the variety of its co- 

 lour, that of the New York Bat being uniformly throughout of a bright 

 reddish brown. 



The Otaria molossina is referred to the genus Platyrhynehus of M. 

 Fred. Cuvier, and is stated to be synonymous with the Loup marin of 

 Pag^s and the Lion de mer of Pernetty. It is thus characterized : " pilis 

 " brunneo -fuscis concoloribus, omnino brevibus ; merabrorum extremis 

 " nigris : unguibus anterioribus nullis ; tribus extensis, necnon robustis, 

 *' posteriori bus. Segmentis membranaceis et lobatis quinque. Pilis 

 " superioris labri rigidis, Isevigatis, transverse complanatis." The in- 

 cisors of the upper jaw are divided by a deep groove into two lobes, a 

 character which is assigned by M. F. Cuvier to his Jlrctocephali, but the 

 distinction between these and the Platyrhxjnchi appears to MM. Lesson 

 and Grarnot not to be sufficiently precise; and the mass of characters con- 

 nect their new species vnth the latter group. The male Otaria molos- 

 sina has much affinity to the Otaria jubata, Desm., but differs not merely 

 in the complete absence of a mane, but also in the proportions of its 

 parts and in size. It is nearly five feet in length, and its circumference 

 at the axillcE is nearly three feet. It inhabits the Falkland Islands and 

 the Coast of Chili, as far as Valdivia and La Concepcion. In the for- 

 mer locality it is an object of pursuit to the individuals engaged in the 

 South Sea fishery. The Seals most sought after are stated to be the Sea 

 Lions, Phoca prohoscidea. Per., the Maned Seals, Otaria molossina and 

 Ot. jubata : and the Fur Seals, Otaria ursina, Desm. The latter espe- 

 cially has been of late years productive of large profits, but the animals 

 seem now to be becoming scarce. Other species, some of which appear 

 to be yet unknown to science, are also the objects of a considerable 

 commerce. 



