1879.] PROF. FLOWER ON THE SKULL OF OTARIA. 551 



its tail is imperfect, so that I am at present unable to solve Mr. 

 Elliot's doubts 1 as to the validity of the species. 



3. A young male Patagonian Sea-lion (Otaria jubata), presented 

 by F. E. Cobb, Esq., Manager of the Falkland-Islands Company, at 

 Stanley, Falkland Islands, May 20th. This is a most acceptable 

 present, as we have at present only two female Otarice in the Gardens, 

 and these animals thrive and breed in captivity. 



The new animal is believed to be about two years old, and was 

 captured in the Falkland Islands in March last. At present he is 

 considerably inferior in size to the two females, being not more than 

 4 feet in length. 



4. A Saki Monkey (Brachyurus), purchased May 24th. 



This Monkey we purchased as an example of Brachyurus rabi- 

 cundus 2 , and probably belongs to that species, although it does not 

 quite agree with the published descriptions and figures. An accurate 

 examination of it can only be made after the death of the animal, 

 when a further notice of this rare species shall be given. 



Mr. Sclater exhibited a skin of Ara glauca (Vieill.) from Corrientes, 

 belonging to M. Boucard's collection, and stated that, after com- 

 paring it with the bird in the Society's Gardens, purchased in June 

 I860, and named in the 'List of Vertebrates' (18/7, p. 240) Ara 

 glauca, he had come to the conclusion that the latter bird was cer- 

 tainly not an example of Ara glauca, but belonged to the allied form 

 Ara (ear?, readily distinguishable by its larger size and intense blue 

 colouring, almost as fine a blue as in Ara hyacinthina. 



The two species were well represented and distinguished in 

 Souance's ' Perroquets,' pi. i. 



There were, therefore, four species of wholly blue Aras, namely : — 



1 . Ara hyacinthina, ex Amazonia inf. 



2. A. leari, Bp., ex patr. ign. 



3. A. glauca (Vieill.), ex Paraguaya. 



4. A. spixi, ex Brasilia boreali. 



Of all these, except A. glauca, the Society's collection now con- 

 tains living examples. 



Prof. Flower laid before the Meeting the skull of the female 

 Otaria lately living in the Southport Aquarium (exhibited at the 

 last meeting by Mr. Jackson), and stated that it belonged to the 

 species originally described by Dr. MeBaifl in the Proceedings of the 

 Royal Physical Society of Edinburgh (vol. i. p. 422 ; meeting of 

 Feb. 24th, 1858) as Otaria gillespii. The original specimen was 

 obtained from California — as was the present example, and others now 

 living in the Brighton Aquarium and in several menageries on the 

 Continent. A fine skeleton of this species from Japan had long 



1 Monograph of the Hornbills, part i. 



2 See Casteln. Voy. Mamm. pi. iv. fig. 2, and Bates's Amazons (1864), p. 3SS. 

 ' J Sitface leari, Finsch, Papageien, i. p. 302. 



