Mammalia.] SUB ANT ARCTIC ISLANDS OF NEW ZEALAND. 549 



Islands. It is said not to come so far north as the Campbell and Auckland Islands 

 in the direction of New Zealand, although in other directions it has been taken at 

 Tristan da Cunha, Juan Fernandez, the Falkland Islands, South Georgia, and Inac- 

 cessible Islands ; also from the Cape of Good Hope and the ' Antarctic seas.' It is 

 therefore a seal of wide distribution, occurring abundantly in South Indian and South 

 Pacific Oceans, and wandering as much to the north as to the south." 



The sea-elephant has occurred at Campbell Island, for Mr. Nicholson, who re- 

 sides there, told members of our expedition how he had secured one at Perse- 

 verance Harbour, and exhibited the skull, which he had preserved. Filhol* also 

 records having obtained two individuals there. 



Lonnbergf considers that Mirounga, Gray, 1827, is the correct name of the genus. 



Hab. — Campbell Island, and as above noted. 



Hydrurga, Gistel, 1848. 

 Hydrurga leptonyx, Blainville. (Sea-leopard, leopard seal.) 



Phoca leptonyx, Blainville, Journ. Phys., xci, 1820, p. 288. 



Though, properly speaking, this seal is a southern form, it wanders as far north 

 as the shores of Australia, generally in pairs. In 1907 I picked up the skull of a 

 leopard seal in Venus Cove, at Campbell Island, and members of our expedition 

 saw an example near the same place, and photographed it. 



TrouessartJ points out that Hydrurga, Gistel, 1848, has priority over Ogmo- 

 rhinus, Peters, 1875. 



Hab. — Southern seas. 



Order C E T A C E A. 



Fam. BALAENIDAE. 



Balaena, Linnaeus, 1758. 



Balaena australis, Desmoulins. (Southern right whale.) 



Balaena australis, Desmoulins, Diet. Class. Hist. Nat., ii, 1822, p. 161. 



The whaling industry, at one time prosecuted off the coasts of New Zealand 

 from the Chatham to the Campbell Islands with some vigour, has entirely ceased, 

 but I understand that, as whales are becoming more plentiful again, the industry 

 may in a slighter degree be renewed. A party recently visited Campbell Island for 

 the purpose of prospecting the waters of the neighbourhood, as a result of which 

 " a syndicate is being formed to establish a depot at Campbell Island to hunt the 

 right whale, and it is hoped to be able to commence operations at the beginning 

 of next year's season. The intention is to fit out a whaling- steamer with a heavy 

 bow gun, firing an explosive shell, as at the Norwegian stations. "§ Though whales 



* Filhol, he. cit., p. 30. 



f- Lonnberg, K. Svensk. Vet. Akad. Handl., xl 1906, p. 9. 



J Trouessart, Mammalia, Exped. antarct. fran9aise, 1907, p. 20. 



§ News item, IGtli April, 1909. 



