190 MIJ. G. E. H. BARBETT-HAMILTON ON [i'eb. 2, 



Bart.) a head aud two pairs of shed horns ot" a Fallow Deer, 

 the latter showing arrest in development in consequence of disease 

 of the frontal bone, due, probably, to incomplete severance of the 

 horn during the process of shedding. 



Mr. G. E. H. Barrett-Hamilton, F.Z.S., gave a short general 

 account of his journey to the Fur-Seal Islands of the North 

 Pacific during the summer of 1896. 



The journey had been undertaken on behalf of the Foreign and 

 Colonial Offices, with a view to the investigation of the Natural 

 History of the Northern Fur-Seal {Otaria wsina), with special 

 reference to certain disputed points which have a distinct bearing 

 on the industry connected with the skins of the animal. 



Mr. Barrett-Hamilton stated that in the very short time at his 

 disposal he would only be able to give a mere outline of his 

 journey, and v/ould hardly be able to speak at all of the Natural 

 History of the Fur-Seal, which he would have very much liked to 

 have done. As, however, he was engaged in reporting in some 

 detail on these matters to the Government, it would have in any 

 case been impossible for him to have gone into the disputed points 

 until his report had been published. 



Mr. Barrett-Hamilton left Queenstown in the E.M.S. ' Lucania,' 

 in company with Professor D'Arcy Thompson, on May 24th, for 

 New York, where they were met by Mr. Macoiin, who was to 

 proceed to the Seal Islands on behalf of the Canadian Govern- 

 ment, Messrs. Macoun and Thompson proceeded at once from 

 New Tork to Washington, whence they left shortly afterwards 

 for the Pribiloff Islands, on the Alaskan side of Bering Sea, 

 whereas Mr. Barrett-Hamilton had instructions to proceed to the 

 Commander Islands, which are a part of the Eussian Empire and 

 lie near the coast of Kamtchatka, on the western side of the 

 Paciiic. 



From New Tork Mr. Barrett-Hamilton went across the American 

 Continent to San Francisco. Here, during a stay of several days, 

 while awaiting the arrival of the steamer which was to take him 

 to Yokohama, he was able to observe and photograph the famous 

 Seal-rocks near the entrance to the Harbour, on which may be 

 seen lying examples of two species of Sea-Lion, Otaria stelleri 

 and 0. californiana. 



The voyage from San Francisco to Yokohama was taken in the 

 Pacific Mail SS. Company's Steamer ' Peru,' and was an uneventful 

 one. Many notes were, however, made on the sea-birds seen, so 

 far as they could be identified with certainty, the results of which, 

 together with those of his observations in the more northern 

 parts of the Pacific, Mr. Barrett-Hamilton stated that he hoped 

 to publish shortly in the ' Ibis.' 



Among the more interesting species observed in the voyage 

 were the Black-footed Albatross (Diomedea nigripes), of which a 

 photograph in flight was exliibited, the Frigate-bird, the Bosim- 

 liird or Tropic-bird, the Booby, and many species of Petrels and 

 Shearwaters. 



