THE MAMMALS OP THE PRIBILOF ISLANDS. 351 



ments being jfrom the tip of the nose to the root of the tail: No. 1, 10 feet 7 inches; 

 No. 2, 10 feet; No. 3, 10 feet; No. 4, 10 feet 3 inches; No. 5, 10 feet 2 inches; No. 6, 9 

 feet 10 inches. 



Mr. Palmer obtained a male on Walrus Island June 13, 1890, which measured 11 

 feet 1 inch in total length. Regarding this bull, Mr. Palmer furnishes the following 

 note: 



While on Walrus Island on June 13 I noticed that several small rocks about 40 yards from 

 the main island were literally covered with sea lions. One old bull occupied the center, six or 

 seven smaller ones, probably females, surrounded him, and some twenty-five of all sizes occupied 

 every other available space. Upon my trying to creep within gunshot, the smaller sea lions rapidly 

 plunged into the water, followed by the others, until, as I neared the water, none but the old bull 

 remained. He slowly raised himself and looked around, and while doing so received two shots In the 

 neck, which hastened his movements, but before he could leave the rock a lucky shot from my rifle 

 through the base of the brain stretched him lifeless. 



The skins of the sea lion are still employed, to a limited extent, for covering the 

 large bidaras or skin boats. The frames of these boats are made of wood, formerly 

 lashed, but now mainly nailed and bolted together, and over these the skin covering 

 is tightly stretched. See PI. XXXI. The skin is oiled and is carefully removed at 

 the end of the season. Bidaras are used by the North American Commercial Com- 

 pany for transferring the seal skins from the warehouses to the steamer, and for gen- 

 eral lightering purposes. They are not so heavy as a wooden boat, and have also this 

 advantage, that if they strike a rock, as not infrequently happens, the bidara gives 

 to the blow and receives no injury, when a wooden boat would be caused to leak. 



THE HARBOR SEAL. 



Phooa largha Pallas (?). 



The hair seal found about the islands has generally been regarded as the common 

 Phoca vitulina, but in a recent communication before the Biological Society of Wash- 

 ington, Dr. Merriam has shown that it differs in some respects from that species, and 

 is probably to be identified with the P. largha of Pallas. According to Dr. Merriam's 

 statements, though extremely like P. vitulina and presenting, in like manner, two color 

 phases, it is larger aud exhibits certain peculiarities, of which the most salient relate 

 to the form of the teeth and the premaxillary bones. In P. vitulina the lower pre- 

 molar and molar have usually four cusps each, but in the Pribilof seal three. Again, 

 in P. vitulina the upper extremities of the premaxillae merely touch the sides of the 

 nasals, while in the Pribilof seal they run along the sides of those bones for a con- 

 siderable distance. 



Solitary representatives of this seal were seen by myself on the rocks in Gorbatch 

 Bay, St. Paul, in 1895, and at other points, and they were more numerous on the rocks 

 of Southwest Bay, but their headquarters is on the north shore. Three young ones 

 were brought to the village. 



RIBBON SEAL. 



Histriophoca faaciaia (Zimm.). 



A young female of this species was taken by one of the sealers 84 miles west of 

 St. Paul in August, 1896, so that it may be regarded as a probable occasional visitant 

 to the Pribilofs. 



