7G0 MR. J. AV. CLARK ON EARED SEALS. [Nov. 18, 



hookeri $ in the British Museum. The two skeletons were not to 

 be found : one only, in an incomplete state, was at length discovered ; 

 its skull, much broken, the cranial portion alone being preserved, 

 presented the same characteristics as the other. 



The two skins have been stuffed and are exhibited in the zoolo- 

 gical gallery. They are Hair-Seals ; the larger of the two, sex un- 

 known, is about 5' long ; its colour is a darkish grey, inclining to 

 yellow ; the other, rather smaller, is a female, and is of a uniform 

 yellow colour — exactly what Captain Musgrave (/. c.) describes the 

 females to be, and what we see in the specimens of Otaria hookeri 

 in the British Museum. 



The examination of these skulls and skins furnishes additional 

 proof that the Aucklands are the habitat of Otaria hookeri. It 

 is curious that no male specimen should have been brought back, 

 except the one that M. Dumoutier reserved for himself. It is just 

 possible that some more specimens may shortly be discovered, as a 

 number of cases, brought home by him and which have never been 

 opened, have been lately acquired by the Museum. 



The following extract, pointed out to me by M. Alphonse Milne- 

 Edwards, gives additional proof of the existence of two species of 

 Otaria on the Aucklands : — 



"In the year 1823 Captain Robert Johnson, in the schooner 

 ' Henry,' of New York, took from this island and the surroundinji 

 islets about 13,000 of as good Fur- Seal-skins as ever were brought 

 to the New-York market. From this voyage lie never returned . . . 

 Although the Auckland Islands once abounded with numerous herds 

 of Fur- and Hair-Seals, the American and French seamen engaged in 

 this business ha^e made such clean work of it as scarcely to leave a 

 breed ; at all events there was not one Fur-Seal to be found on the 

 4th of January, 1830"*. 



The absence of Seals in January might easily be accounted for by 

 their annual migration ; but it is remarkable that the herds of Seals 

 should have become so numerous again in twenty years as would 

 appear from Captain Musgrave's description. 



I may mention that I was shown a skeleton of Otaria jubata, 

 marked as from the Aucklands. If this should be the case, which 

 I do not believe on the evidence presented to me, it would greatly 

 extend the range of that species ; but it is very unlikely that there 

 should be two Hair-Seals as well as a Fur-Seal on the islands. 



In conclusion I ought to mention that the first suggestion of the 

 skull I have described being that of the male of O. hookeri was made 

 by Mr. Gerrard of the British Museum. 



* A Narrative of four Voyages to the South Sea, &c. &c, from the year 

 1822-1831. By Captain Benjamin Morrell. Jun. 8vo. New York, 1832. 



