606 CARNIVORA 
upper part of the head. Nails present, though small, on the hind 
feet. One species, (. cristutu, the Hooded or Bladder-Nose Seal of 
the Polar Seas. 
Macrorhinus.A—Dentition as the last, but cheek-teeth of simpler 
character, and all onerooted. All the teeth, except the canines, 
very small relatively to the size of the animal. Hind feet without 
nails.. Vertebre: C 7, D 15, L 5,8 3, C 11. Nose of adult 
male produced into a short tubular proboscis, ordinarily flaccid, 
but capable of dilatation and elongation under excitement. One 
species, J. Iconinus, the Elephant Seal, or Sea-Elephant of the 
whalers, the largest of the whole family, attaining the length of 
nearly 20 feet. Formerly abundant in the Antarctic Seas, and 
also found on the coast of California. 
Extinct Seals—Remains of animals of this group have been 
found in late Miocene and Pliocene strata in Europe and America, 
the most abundant and best-preserved being those of the Pliocene 
Antwerp Crag, the subject of an illustrated monograph by Van 
Beneden. Nothing has, however, yet been discovered which 
throws any light upon the origin of the group, since all the extinct 
forms at present known come within the definition of the existing 
families; and, though annectant forms between these occur, there 
are as yet no transitions to a more generalised type of mammal. 
Indeed, all those of which the characters are best known belong to 
the completely developed Phocine or Trichechine, and not to the 
Otariine, type. The typical genus Phocu occurs in the Antwerp 
Crag, while remains of Seals provisionally referred to this genus 
are found in the Pliocene of the Crimea and the Miocene of Malta 
and Virginia. Of the other Antwerp forms Callophocu is said to 
be allied to Phoca grenlundica, Platyphoca to Phoca barbata, Phocanella 
to Phoca foetida, Gryphoca to Halicherus, Palwophoca and Aonatherium 
to Aonachus, and Afesotaria to Cystophora ; while Prophoca does not 
appear to come very close to any existing form. It should be 
observed that it is extremely doubtful whether all these fossil Seals 
are really entitled to generic distinction. 
Bibliography of Pinnipedia.—J. A. Allen, History of North American 
Pinnipeds, 1880; St. George Mivart, ‘‘ Notes on the Pinnipedia,” Proc. Zool. Soc. 
1885, p. 484; P. J. Van Beneden, Ossements fossiles d’ Anvers, in the Jkin. Acad. 
Roy. d. Belgique. 
Suborder CREODONTA. 
The discovery of fossil remains in Eocene and early Miocene 
formations both in Europe and North America shows that numerous 
species of terrestrial carnivorous animals existed upon the earth 
during those periods which cannot be referred to either of the 
1 F. Cuvier, Afém. du Muséum, vol. xi. p. 200 (1824), ‘‘ Macrorhine.” 
