30 



the distance between the inner angles of the eyes is one-half greater in the 

 New Zealand seal, than in Weddellii, and the circumference at the upper part 

 of the neck about the same. The distance from the angle of the mouth to the 

 tip of the lower jaw, is also much greater in our specimens, than in the other. 

 Whatever hesitation we may have in relying on the measurements taken from 

 a stuffed specimen, those about the head and jaws are not likely to be 

 inaccurate. In this case, they show that the New Zealand seal is much longer 

 in the jaw, and generally broader in the muzzle than that from South Shetland. 

 It will be noticed that the fore-paw is proportionately larger. This, and the 

 posterior extremity, differ much in shape from those of Weddellii, the toes 

 being connected throughout by membrane. They are, respectively, extremely 

 like the fin and tail of a fish, whilst those of the Leopard Seal are very similar 

 to the limbs of a true Phoca. The presence of nails on the posterior extremity, 

 is also a distinguishing mark. 



The general differences of appearance are also very noticeable, although, 

 as all seals seem to vary much in colour and markings, at different ages, I 

 should not have ventured to think them specific, in the absence of more 

 important ones. Captain Weddell has given but a meagre description of 

 the Leopard Seal, speaking of it as if it were already known. He gives the 

 colours as " pale-greyish above, yellowish beneath, the back sj)otted with pale 

 white," an expression which probably means " dull white." The plate in the 

 " Naturalist's Library " (in which, by the way, the colouring has evidently 

 been taken by the artist, not from Weddell's description, but from the highly 

 discoloured Museum specimen), shows large oval spots, all nearly even in size, 

 and pretty uniformly distributed. The seals, I am describing, are of a slatey 

 grey, above, a medium shade, the female being a little lighter coloured than 

 the male. The spots are both white and black, the latter being most 

 numerous ; none, strictly speaking, on the back, whilst those on the upper 

 part of the sides are small, and distributed very differently from those on the 

 Leopard Seal. The spots and markings will be best understood by a reference 

 to the photographs. Though the grey on the back has come out very dark in 

 these, the black spots remain distinguishable. It is proper to mention, also, 

 that all the whites appear as much too blight in the photographs, as the greys 

 are too dark. An accurate idea of the colouring cannot be had from them. 

 The large patches of black on the under parts of the male, are probably only 

 signs of youth, as in the Fur Seal. The black is pure in the male, nearly so in 

 the female. There was no trace of a yellow tinge on the under portion of the 

 body when the animals were alive, though there are now some slight signs of 

 that discolouration to which all stuffed specimens of seals are subject, from the 

 impossibility of entirely freeing the skin from oily matter. The general colour 

 beneath, when the seals were newly killed, and wet, may be described as that 

 of sea ice, a dull white, with faint bluish-grey tinge. I append more particular 

 descriptions of each specimen, sufficient, I think, when taken in conjunction 

 with the measurements, to enable any one to identify the species in case of 

 future capture. 



I am informed (at second hand) from several quarters, that, though very 

 rare on the New Zealand coast, these seals are common at the Auckland 

 Islands, where they have been seen from sixteen to twenty feet long. 



Statements made by the Maoris to Mr. Beverly, when he accompanied Dr. 

 Hector on an expedition to the West Coast of this Province, agree with these 

 reports as to the large size attained by these seals. The Maoris speak of them 

 as much larger than the Wigs, as they call the full-grown Brown Seal of our 

 coasts. One of the latter was killed during the expedition referred to, which 

 weighed 3 cwt., but I have not been able to ascertain its dimensions. I 

 hope this notice may lead to further information on the subject being made 



