190 CAPT. ABBOTT ON THE SEALS OF THE FALKLANDS. [Mar. 12, 



its upper lip, which is somewhat like a diminutivg proboscis. It is 

 not at all common in this group of islands, and comparatively few 

 of the skins are brought in by the sealers ; it is, however, fre- 

 quently seen in one or two of the bays on the north shore of East 

 Falkland, where it is little disturbed, owing to the sealing-boats 

 being unable to approach the shore. In these bays the Sea-Ele- 

 phants breed in some of the many caverns, the only entrances to 

 which are by water. I have never met with this Seal alive, but I 

 have examined the skins and skulls which have been brought in 

 by the sealers ; its hair is very coarse, and its hide very thick. 

 This Seal is by far the largest of all the four kinds inhabiting the 

 Falkland Islands, its skull being one-third larger than that of the 

 next species. 



2. The Sea-Lion. {Otariajiibata.)* 



I presume that this Seal derives its name from the roar that the 

 male makes when disturbed or fighting, and from the long mane- 

 like hair which covers his neck and shoulders. It is very common 

 in the Falklands, being found plentifully on many of the islands, and 

 even on the north shore of West Falkland ; here also it breeds, being 

 little disturbed by the sealing-boats. There is a remarkable dispa- 

 rity in size between the male and female of this Seal. The male is as 

 large as a bullock in circumference, while the female is no bigger 

 than a calf. At one time only the female was killed by the sealers, 

 as the skin of the male was considered to be of little value ; and this 

 may account for the preponderance of males which I have observed. 



* This is Otaria jubata {Phoca jubata, Schreb., from Forster's " Sea-Lion." 

 Otaria leonina, Peron ; Gray, Catal. of Seals and Whales, p. 59). Capt. Abbott's 

 skin and skull of this animal are now in the British Museum ; so that there can 

 be no doubt about their identity, although they are not included in Dr. Gray's 

 latest enumeration of the specimens of this portion of the collection. 



The older authors (Schreber, Graelin, &c.) confounded under the name Phoca 

 jubata the present animal and the Sea-Lion of the Northern Pacific {Leo marimcs 

 of Steller = Phoca stelteri, Fischer = Arctocephalus monteriensis et Otaria stelleri. 

 Gray = Eumetopias californiana Gill). I agree with Dr. Peters (Monatsb. Bed. 

 Ac. 18G6, p. 274) in thinking it best to reserve the name jubata for the southern 

 species, and to call the northern one stelleri. I consider O. leonina, F. Cuv., to be 

 probably the same as O. jubata, as appears to be admitted by Dr. Peters in his last 

 paper (/. c. p. 670). The fine series of the skulls of O. jubata in the Museum of 

 the College of Surgeons has lately been increased by the receipt of a skull of an 

 adult male of this species obtained by Dr. Cunningham at Dungeness Point, in 

 the extreme south of South America. 



Since the death of our Sea-Bear in the Gardens 1 have had an opportunity of 

 examining its skull, and have now to confess that I have been wrong in deter- 

 mining it to be 0. hookeri. The skull certainly belongs to the long-palated series, 

 and is not distinguishable from specimens in the Museum of the Royal College 

 of Surgeons, which are believed to be females or young individuals of 0. jubata. 

 Nor is this animal distinguishable externally by any marked characters from 

 Capt. Abbott's skin in the British Museum. I am therefore disposed to agree 

 with Dr. Peters's views {I. s. c. p. 666) aud Dr. Gray's opinion (Ann. Nat. Hist, 

 ser. 4. vol. i. p. 108) that our beast was only a stunted male of O. jubata. In 

 this case, however, the animal must be some years in coming to its full stature, 

 and the mane (whence it has received its name) only apparent when the beast is 

 fully adult.— P. L. S. 



