1875. | MR. J. W. CLARK ON EARED SEALS. 671 
our animal. It corresponds exactly in all its most important points, 
as in colour, position and shape of nostrils, and form of the hind 
feet. The only sentence that puzzles me is that referring to the 
molar teeth. Forster says :—‘* At their roots on each side [utrin- 
que] are rudiments, like the germs of new teeth.”’ From the use of 
the word ‘‘utrinque”’ in other parts of his description, I feel nearly 
sure that he means “on both sides of the jaw ;”’ but of course the 
word would most naturally signify “on both sides of the tooth,” and 
imply that it had two subordinate cusps. This, however, would not 
agree, so far as we know any thing about the New-Zealand Seals, with 
the possession of copious under-fur. 
There is a figure of this O¢aria among Forster’s drawings in the 
British Museum, which were executed, not by John Reinhold 
Forster, but by his son George Forster. It is on a folio page 
197" x 13", marked (2). It represents a small Otaria lying on a 
rock, with its feet stretched out behind it, of a dark brown colour. 
It is badly drawn, and very unlike Forster’s vigorous and artistic 
style. The nails are indicated as being distant from the free edge of 
the cartilage by about their own length. The snout is made to 
project considerably beyond the lower lip. Beneath is written, in 
pencil ‘PHoca ursinaA—potius volans, antarctica, for ursina, 
having been erased,—and on back, * Dusky Bay, a young animal 6 
to 10 feet in lengh” (sic). The sketch is not signed “ G. Forster” 
as most of the others are*. 
In the Zoology of the Voyage of the ‘Astrolabe,’ by Quoy and 
Gaimard, two species of Otaria are described—one called Otarie cen- 
drée, and the other O¢arie australe; and the skull and animal of 
both species are figured. Let us take the former first. The 
authors regard it as identical with the Otaria cinerea of Péron. If 
so, it cannot be our animal; for Péron describes his Otaria cinerea 
as having “short, hard, coarse hair,” and contrasts it with ‘ Seals 
of smaller size which possess fur of good quality.” Again, the de- 
scription of Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard indicates an animal with 
* As Forster’s drawings of Otarias are often referred to, and as, with re- 
ference to this very species, I find in Dr. Gray’s latest publication (‘ Hand-List 
of Seals, ete. p. 35) the following statement—‘ Several beautiful drawings of 
the animal were made for Sir Joseph Banks, which are now with the rest of his 
drawings in the Botanical Department in the British Museum,”—I examined 
the set carefully last summer, and found that there were only three drawings of 
Pinnipedia in all. The first is the one described above, marked “2.” 
That marked “3” is a double sheet of paper 28” x21”, labelled “Phoca 
leonina, Linn.,” and Jan. 11, 1775 in corner. ‘Phoca leonina” is written a gain at 
the bottom of the page—and on back, ‘‘ South Georgia.” Itisa pencil sketch of 
a large Pinniped, with the upper jaw projecting considerably beyond the lower, 
but is clearly not an O¢aria. It is probably a Sea-elephant. Nails are indicated 
on fore flippers, none on hind. Signed in left corner, ‘ Forster.” 
That marked ‘‘4” isa very spirited sketch in pencil, as large as the last, of an 
old male Sea-lion with an abundant mane, in a sitting position, upright and 
defiant, with his hind feet brought under his body. It is marked “ Phoca jubata, 
Staten Land, 2 Jan. 1775,” and on back ‘‘ Year’s Islands, near Staten Land.” It 
has been signed in left corner; but the signature has become nearly obliterated. 
Only part of the last syllable remains, but enough to show that the handwriting 
is the same as that on the others. 
Proc. Zoou. Soc.—1875, Ne. XLIII. 43 
