406 WHALES, SEALS, AND SEA-SERPENTS 



seldom come under the observation of European 

 travellers. 



In the Antarctic we have other species of seals, 

 quite distinct from the northern genera. These are 

 Stenorhynchus, the Leopard Seal, a very large species ; 

 Lobodon, the Crab-eating Seal ; Leptonyx, or Weddell's 

 Seal ; and Ommatophoca, or Ross's Seal, a small and 

 rare species, with enormous eyes. Recent Antarctic 

 expeditions have added much to our knowledge of 

 these seals, and have brought specimens in abundance 

 to our museums. 



The last genus of the true seals is the Sea Elephant 

 (Macro rhinus), of which one species (M. leoninus) has 

 long been known from the Antarctic seas, and another 

 (M. angustirostris) occurs in small and dwindling 

 numbers off the coast of California. The sea elephants 

 are the largest of all the seals, old bulls measuring 

 about 20 feet long ; but the females are very much 

 smaller. The southern sea elephants (which, by the 

 way, may or may not be all referable to a single 

 species) were in former times slaughtered in great 

 numbers at Kerguelen, the Crozets, and Heard Island ; 

 and in California the northern species was still plenti- 

 ful and vigorously pursued at the time of the rush to 

 the gold-diggings in 1849 and following years. 



The walruses form a family by themselves, the 

 Trichechidae, containing one or perhaps two species, 

 for naturalists are not agreed as to whether the Atlantic 

 and Pacific races of this animal should be looked upon 

 as specifically distinct or not. However this may be, it 

 is always, so far as I know, easy to distinguish between 

 one and the other, for the tusks of Pacific specimens 

 are notably longer, thinner, and more convergent than 

 are those from the Atlantic region. Unlike the seals, 

 which are fish-eaters, the walrus lives upon " clams " — 



