107 



Peristethus brevifurcatus, 



is figured, according to Cuvier and Valenciennes, in Cornelius v, 

 Vlaming's Manuscript, nos. 165, 166. This fish is called Sturgeon of 

 Banda, and has the fork of the snout not more largely developed 

 than in Trigia lyra. Like P. gig as, it grows to a considerable size. 

 A third species is mentioned by Cuvier in few words : " Ainsi Ton 

 doit croire qu'il y a dans la mer des Indes une espece de ce genre 

 difFerente de la notre." This third species of Cuvier is perhaps P. 

 orientalis, or my new P. rieffeli. 



February 22nd, 1859. 



Dr. Gray, F.R.S,, V.P., in the Chair. 



The following papers were read : — 



1. On the Eared Seal of the Cape of Good Hope (Otaria 

 DELALANDii). By Dr. J. E. Gray, F.R.S., V.P.Z.S. 



(Mammalia, PI. LXIX.-LXX.) 



At the preceding meeting, I gave an account of the Eared Seal 

 from Behring's Straits, showing that it was distinct from the species 

 found in other localities. I have since received from Paris a fine 

 specimen of an adult Eared Seal from the Cape of Good Hope, which 

 has been described in the Catalogue as PJioca, or Otaria delalandii. 

 Like the Seal from Behring's Straits, it proves to be a species of Arc- 

 tocephalus, and, like it, is quite distinct from any of the species of that 

 genus in the British Museum, being well characterized by the form 

 and structure of the skull. 



It is, like the Behring's Straits Seal, a Fur- Seal ; that is to say, it 

 has a close coat of red under-fur at the roots of the rigid flattened 

 hair ; but this under-fur is much shorter and less abundant in the 

 adult specimen now under examination than in the adult specimen 

 of the Eared Fur-Seal from Behring's Straits, or in the Eared Fur- 

 Seal of the Falkland Islands. The adult is about the same size 

 as the Seal from the Arctic Circle, but is much paler in its general 

 colour. 



Arctocephalus delalandii. (PI. LXIX.) 



Hair rigid, under- fur small in quantity, reddish-brown ; the hinder 

 part of the palate with a deep narrow cavity, acutely angular in 

 front. 



Junior ? 



Le petit phoque, Buffon, Hist. Nat. xiii. 341, t. 53. 

 Little Seal, Penn. Quad. 243, from Buffon. 

 Phoca parva, Bodd. Elench. 78, from Buffon. 

 Phoca pusilla, Schreb. Saugeth. 314, t. 85, from Buffon. 



