18G7.] DR. J. MURIE ON THK SEA-BEAR. 2^3 



1. Oil the Cause of Death of the Sea-Bear {Otaria hookeri) 

 lately living in the Society's Gardens. By James Murie, 

 M.D., Prosector to the Society. 



The loss which the Society's Collection has recently sustained in 

 the death of the Sea-Bear, a species of Otaria, is one which cannot 

 readily be repaired. 



The animal was attractive in a threefold manner, — its rarity in 

 the live state in this country, its curious mode of progression in the 

 water and on the land (differing much in this respect from its allied 

 neighbours the true Seals), and, not the least attractive point, if only 

 in a pecuniary sense to the Society, its remarkable intelligence and 

 docility serving at all times to gather round it a crowd of interested 

 visitors. 



The anatomy of this Otaria I shall treat of at length in a separate 

 communication, and in this confine myself alone to the symptoms 

 of illness and the morbid appearances disclosed, as an answer to the 

 very general question put to me, " What did the Sea-Bear die of?" 



Adolphe Lecomte, its keeper, reported to me that on Friday the 

 8th of JFebruary he first noticed the animal's appearing to him dull, 

 out of sorts, and careless of food. On the day following (Saturday) 

 it exhibited decided symptoms of illness, besides continued want of 

 appetite. It lay on the straw in the little railed enclosure in front 

 of the outhouse, and, as he said, had swelling of the abdomen and 

 breathed unnaturally. 



I myself saw the creature for the first time after the commence- 

 ment of symptoms of illness on the Sunday morning. The symptoms 

 then were as follows : — It lay on its right side, breathing at regular 

 intervals, taking each time a long inspiration, and which seemed 

 mainly abdominal ; the body and flippers felt unusually cold ; the 

 eyes were watery and languid, the pupils contracted ; there was no 

 swelling of the abdomen, and there no tenderness on pressure, but 

 pressure at the posterior part of the thorax elicited manifestations of 

 uneasiness. Over this last region there was dulness on percussion ; 

 and auscultation revealed indistinct crepitation. Altogether there 

 existed no very evident symptoms of great pain. 



There was thus a difficulty in exactly determining the nature of 

 the illness, and consequently the proper treatment. Some castor-oil 

 was given along with a fish, and afterwards a clyster, as Lecomte 

 believed the animal to be constipated. A mat having been laid over 

 the creature and the trelliswork well protected from the cold wind 

 with straw, the next day the body and the flippers had become 

 warmer ; the breathing, however, was shorter and more oppressed. 

 During the night there had been a slight evacuation. On Tuesday 

 morning there passed along with other alvine matter a piece of 

 canvas rolled tightly together in a cord-like manner, and in this was 

 contained a bent fish-hook, which I now exhibit. 



The symptoms were somewhat relieved, and there were hopes ot 

 amendment ; but towards night the animal became worse, and died 

 on the 14th inst. 



