655 



1872.] DR. J. E. GRAY ON SEA-BEARS. 



8eel (Arctocephalus nigrescens) from the Falkland Islands and the 

 south-west coast of Patagonia. It differs in the position and form of 

 the grinders and in the form of the palate, and its contracted sides 

 and truncated hinder part ; it differs considerably from it in the out- 

 line and prominence of the temporal bullse and the os petrosa The 

 upper surfaces are very much alike, and the orbits are very large and 

 of the same size. The lower jaws are very similar ; but the callosity 

 ot the Jtalkland-Island specimen is rather longer, and the crown of 

 the teeth is longer and rather more slender— the crown of the New- 

 Zealand specimen being as long as broad, that of the Falklaud-Island 

 specimen being one third longer than broad. 



The upper cutting-teeth in the New-Zealand species appear to form 

 a much narrower series ; in the nearly adult specimen, with the bones 

 ot the skull not quite knit, from the Falkland Islands, the series of 

 upper cutting-teeth is rather wider; in the skull from the Falkland 

 Islands very like the adult skull from New Zealand, it is half as 

 wide again. Quoy's figure of the cutting-teeth agrees with the skull 

 sent by Dr. Hector. 



Mr. Allen suggests that all the Sea-bears of the Southern Ocean 

 are of one species ; but he does not appear to have seen specimens of 

 skulls of any of them. If he had, at any rate he would have allowed 

 that there were two. I think that the skulls in the British Museum 

 snow that there are three, which may be thus divided :— 



* Hinder opening of palate narrow, half-ovate in front. Upper 

 cutting-teeth moderate. 



1. Arctocephalus antarcticus, Gray, Suppl. Cat. Seals and Whales 



p. 1/. ' 



** Hinder opening of palate truncated in front. 



2. Arctocephalus nigrescens, Gray, I. c. p. 20. Upper cutting-teeth 



large, m a wide series. 



3. Arctocephalus cinereus, Gray, /. c. p. 24. Upper cutting-teeth 



compressed, forming a narrower series. 



These skulls sometimes have the back of the palate more or less 

 imperfect, and with a triangular notch or slit in the front edge 



It is curious, after Steller's and Forster's description of the Sea- 

 bear that they should be regarded as Seals ; it is evident that 

 Fischer observed their un- Seal-like characters when he inquired if 

 they should not be arranged with Enhydris ; yet Quoy and Gaimard 

 fagure the two species of this genus which they observed with elon- 

 gate bodies and in the attitude of the common Seals (Phocidce) 

 And Uould did the same with the Australian species ; I believe he 

 had never seen the specimen alive. 



Arctocephalus cinereus. 



Sea-bear, Cook's Second Voyage. 



Phoca ursina, John R. Forster, Descriptio Animalium, p. 64. 



