! i 



16, AECTOCEPHALTTS. 49 



sections, separating A. Hookeri from the other species ; but I had 

 only young or half-grown specimens of the skulls of this species ; 

 and since I have obtained the young skuU from California, I am 

 induced to believe the slight convexity of the forehead and the slen- 

 derness of the lower jaw to be dependent on the age of the specimen, 

 and that most probably the forehead of the adult animal becomes 

 flatter and the lower jaw stronger as the animal increases in age. 



The species of this genus are scattered over the world. 



A. Monteriensis, A. Calif orniarms, and A. Oilliespii are from Cali- 

 fornia. 



A. Hookeri, A. nigrescens, and A. FalJdandicus from the Falkland 

 Islands and Cape Horn. 



A. Delalandii from the Cape of Good Hope. 



A. lobatus, A. cinereus, and A. australis from Australia. 



a. SkuU short and broad. 

 * Hinder edge of the palate transversely truncated. 



1. Arctocephalus Monteriensis. 



Skull broad ; face short ; palate rather concave in front, nearly 

 flat behind, the hinder aperture somewhat contracted, with a 

 nearly straight transverse hinder edge. Teeth large ; the lower jaw 

 elongate. 



Arctocephalus Monteriensis, Gray, R-oo. Zool. Soc. 1859, 357. t. 72 

 (skull), p. 360. 



Inhab. California (Monterey). Called Lobo marino by the Spaniards. 



o. " Skull and tongue bones of the CaHfornian Sea Lion (Spanish 

 Lobo marino), taken near Monterey ; A. S. Taylor, July 1858." 

 Presented by J. H. Gumey, Esq., M.P. 



This skull is as large as, and very like in external appearance to, 

 the skull of the adult Otaria leonina, or Southern Sea Bear of the 

 southern part of the west coast of America, which we have in the 

 British Museum from the coast of Chili. 



The skulls of the Lobo marino and Otaria leonina are easily dis- 

 tinguished, and, when they are more closely examined, prove to 

 belong to two different genera. The Californian skull has the short 

 flat palate, contracted behind, of the genus Arctocephalus, and the 

 other the very long deeply concave palate, nearly as wide behind as in 

 front, of the genus Otaria. It also has the high nose, with a nearly 

 horizontal facial Kne over the nose, of the former genus, instead of 

 the low nose shelving towards the edge of the upper jaw of the Otaria 

 or Sea Lion of Chih. 



The adult skull is more than double the size of the adult skulls of 

 the other species of Arctocephali which we have in the Museum Col- 

 lection, and shows the existence of a Seal of very large size in these 

 seas — as large as the Sea Lion of Chili. 



The skull has been compared with the skulls of Arctocephahis De- 

 Itdandii, from the Cape, figured in Proc. Zool. Soo. 1858, t. 69 ; 



