30 EHOCID^. 



previous experience — ^that each species of Seal has a limited, indeed 

 I may say a very weU-defiaed and very limited, geographical dis- 

 tribution. Though the species are very difficult to distinguish by 

 their external characters, yet the skeleton, and especially the skull, 

 affords weU-maxked and very definite characters. 



M. Lepechin described a Phoca oceanica (Act. Petrop. 1777, 259. 

 t. 6 & 7), which has been considered the same as PagophilMS Oroen- 

 landicus, as abundant on the ice around Nova Zembla. It would be 

 desirable to see the skuU of a specimen from that locality, and thus 

 discover which species extends itself so far north as those islands. 

 Phoca oceanica, ia its young and old state of fur, resembles Pago- 

 philus Oromlandicus ; but imfortunately we have only a very limited 

 knowledge of the external appearance of this new Seal {Halicyon 

 Bichardi) from Yancouver's Island. 



The study of a large series of specimens of several species of 

 Seals shows that the form of the lower jaw, though hitherto little 

 attended to by zoologists, affords a very good character for the dis- 

 tinction of the species. — Gray, P. Z. S. 1864, 28. 



1. Halicyon Richardi, sp. nov. 



Fur pale brown ; when young, darker. 



Halicyon Biohardi, Gray, Proc. Zool. Sac. 1864, 28. 

 Phoca Groenlandica, Middendorff, Reise in den azessersten N. und O. 

 Sibiriens, i. 222. 



Inhab. Eraser's Eiver and Vancouver's Island. 



Mr; Charles B. Wood, Surgeon of H.M.S. ' Hecate,' has very kindly 

 sent to the British Museum, along with other interesting specimens 

 from the north-western part of North America, the skeleton of a 

 Seal from_ Eraser's River, and the skull of a Seal obtained on the 

 west coast of Vancouver's Island. 



The skull was procured from the natives, who were towing the 

 animal alongside of their canoe. They refused to part with the 

 entire animal, but were at length induced to seU the head. 



The examination of the skulls shows that the two Seals evidently 

 belong to the same species, the specimen from Eraser's River being 

 adult, and the other not quite so old. Mr. Wood observes that " the 

 younger Seal was captured among the islands in Queen Charlotte's 

 Sound, at the north end of Vancouver ; has a fur of a dark brown, 

 almost black colour ; and is unlike that from Eraser's River, which 

 is lighter and less timid, being often seen seated on a log floating 

 down with the current."— P. Z. S. 1864. 



This species, at the request of Mr. Wood, is dedicated to Captain 

 Richard, the Hydrographer to the Admiralty, and Captain of H.M.S. 

 ' Hecate' when these Seals were collected. I have the more pleasure 

 in doing this, as the Museum has received many very interesting 

 specimens collected during the voyage of the ' Hecate,' shovring the 

 interest which her Commander takes in the natural sciences, which 

 I have no doubt will receive additional encouragement in the new 



