662 dr. a. gCnther on two species of hyla. [May 21, 



already observed, is liable to be imperfect in this respect in many 

 species. 



Temminck, in the 'Fauna Japonica,' makes some observations 

 on the Eared Seals, and shows the inaccuracies of his predecessors. 

 He describes one species, Otaria stelleri, and observes that the 

 plate of the entire animal was drawn from a living animal in 

 Japan. 



It is very unlike the living animal of the family figured by Forster 

 and that now alive in the Zoological Society's Gardens. The fins look 

 much more as if they were from a stuffed specimen made by a man 

 who never saw a living Sea-bear. He figures the skeleton and three 

 skulls as different ages of the same species, calling one (t. 22. f. 1, 2) 

 from a very old, the second (t. 22. f. 3, 4) from an adult, and the 

 third (t. 22. f. 5, 6) from a middle-aged specimen — I suppose, all from 

 Japan ; but I do not see it so stated. The first two have only five 

 upper grinders and very differently shaped heads ; the third has six 

 upper grinders and is a Gypsophoca. No species has been described 

 from the North Pacific ; and it may be a new species yet undis- 

 covered, as all the other species come from the other side of the 

 equator. 



I should, judging from the figures, regard them as belonging to 

 two, if not three, distinct species, and the whole theory of their being 

 different ages of the same species as a mistake arising from not study- 

 ing the growth of the teeth in these animals. 



The skeleton of O. stelleri (t. 23) is taken from the same specimen 

 as the skull which he says is of a very aged individual (t. 21. f. 1, 2), 

 and is most probably the adult of Zalophus gillespii. Skull, figs. 3 

 aud 4, may be the young of the same species ; but, unfortunately, the 

 underside is not figured of any of these skulls, so as to show the 

 position of the teeth in connexion with the zygoma ; and figures 5 

 and 6 are evidently Gypsophoca, as above stated. 



5. Note on Hyla punctata and Hyla rhodoporus. 

 By Dr. A. Gdnther. 



[Received April 24, 1872.] 



Hyla punctata was named by Schneider in the year 1/99 (Hist. 

 Amph. i. p. 1/0) and described thus: — 



" Color em griseum albidum distinguunt puncta nivea, sine ordine 



sparsa, inter oculos et per totum dorsum; tcenia etiam nivea 



dorsum utrinque cingit, ab oculis ducta supra aures usque ad 



femora." 



This characteristic white band, similar to the lateral glandular fold 



of a Hylorana, is also mentioned by all followiug authors who had 



really examined examples of this Tree-frog : it is distinctly described 



and figured by Spix (1825, Spec. Nov. p. 37, tab. 9. fig. 4, Hyla 



