REVIEWS. 37 
Tue CLASSIFICATION OF THE EARED SEALS. — In the review of m 
paper on the “ Eared Seals” * by Dr. Theodore Gill, published in 
the January number of the Narurauisr,+ I was pleased to see that 
this accomplished zoologist found in it a few things to commend, 
nor was I surprised to find, knowing his opinions previously, that 
on a few points we still somewhat differ. I regretted to observe, 
however, that notwithstanding his accustomed accuracy, Dr. Gill 
had, in the present article, fallen into several by no means unim- 
portant errors. He quite severely criticises my provisional differ- 
entiation of the Otariade into two subfamily groups, and in so 
doing has not only questioned the value ascribed by me to the 
characters alleged to be distinctive of the two groups, but also the 
existence of such distinctions, at least to anything like the extent 
claimed for them. 
The distinctions given as characteristic of the two groups were 
differences in the character of the pelage, in size, form, the rela- 
tive length of the ear and the swimming membranes or toe-flaps. 
Without discussing here the taxonomic value of these distinctions, 
I propose to examine briefly whether any of them have been shown 
by Dr. Gill “ to be degraded to absolute nullity.” 
First, in regard to the pelage. The Oulophocine were charac- 
terized as having “thick under fur,” and the Trichophocine as 
being ‘‘ without under fur.” As showing that this character is 
not a trenchant one, Dr. Gill cites the observation of Dr. Peters 
that the Arctocephalus antarcticus ( Otaria pusilla Peters) has very 
thin under fur, and the remark of Dr. Gray that in Zalophus loba- 
tus (Z. cinereus Gill) the young are ‘‘ covered with soft fur which 
falls off when the next coat of fur is developed,” both of which 
objections I had already noticed. {| To go over the ground again, 
however, I may state that since Dr. Peters wrote, it has been: as- 
certained that both the Arctocephalus antarcticus and the A. 
cinereus are richly provided with under fur, so well so, at least, 
that these animals are pursued for their fur, which forms an arti- 
cle of high commercial value.g The remark respecting the tem- 
* Bulletin ai the Museum of Comparative Zoology, Vol. II, pp. 1-108, 1870. 
t Vol. IV, pp. 675-684. 
Bull. ie. “Comp. Zool., Vol. IT, i 
§ Ann. and Mag. N.: t: Hist., 4th ser., cil I, p. 219, March, 1868. Dr. Gray describes the 
a sinere og having the “under fur abundant” (Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 3d ser. 
Vol. XVI : aa animal 
in the March Pees of Cielvbiniave Zoology. | 
d by J 
