THE SEA ELEPHANT. 59 
example, Leptonychotes, Stenorhinchus, or Lobodon. In this respect Macrorhinus is 
more like the Otariide, and so less differentiated from land mammals, and less 
specialised for a purely marine life. 
In direct opposition to the above facts, which are drawn mainly from the life 
history of the animal, Professor Flower drew up a series of osteological characters 
which, in his opinion, showed that the Sea Elephant has developed seal-like char- 
acteristics more perfect than in any other form. These are briefly as follows :— 
The shortness of the femur. 
The want of development of the calcaneal process. 
The articulation of the fifth metacarpal with the proximal row of carpal bones. 
The development of claws on both feet (?). 
The length of toes in hind limb, and extent of lobe behind the claws, for swimming purposes. 
The ossification of all the phalanges, except the ungual, from three centres, instead of only from a 
proximal. 
Its dentition presents an extreme form from other mammals, Stenorhinchus showing the perfection of 
the modification, and Macrorhinus the extreme form beyond it. 
The form of the brain cavity, very wide posteriorly compared with its length, thus much modified 
from Otarid@ and land carnivora. 
2—2 
rudimentary or transitional condition of the cheek teeth, Macrorhinus is removed 
from any approach to the stable and characteristic dentition of the Otariidz, or even 
of some of the Phocide, but it is an open question whether we are justified in making 
the teeth a character of such paramount importance in classifying the Pinnipedia, 
seeing that they are variable to an extraordinary degree. Not only in number, but 
in shape, size, and character, as well as in the number of the roots, there is hardly a 
species which does not give a most unusual number of variations. 
It is true, no doubt, that in the reduction of its incisor teeth to and in the 
ARCTOCEPHALUS HOOKERI. 
Hooker's Sea-Lion. 
(Plate IV.). 
Arctocephalus hookert, Gray, Zool. Voy. Ereb. and Terr., Pl. XIV., XV.; Hutton and Drummond, 
Animals of New Zealand, 1904, p. 36. 
Phocarctos hookeri, Allen, Hist. N. Amer. Pinnipeds (1880), p. 209, tbique citata. 
List oF MatTerIAL IN THE ‘ Discovery’ CoLLECTION. 
No. 27, ad. skin and skull 9. March 20,1904. Laurie Harbour, Auckland Islands. (Seals, 
Plate IV.). 
No. 81, ad. skin and skull 9. March 20,1904. Laurie Harbour, Auckland Islands. 
No. 44, juv. skin andskull ¢. March 20,1904. In process of moulting the red hair in which 
it was born. (Seals, Plate 1V.). Enderby Island, Auckland Islands. The skull contains 
several milk teeth. 
The colouring of the soft parts is as follows :— 
Tris, dark brown. 
Uncovered portions of the hind and fore limbs, all black. 
Nails, dark brown. 
