798 General Notes. [July, 
Many fishes leave their eggs floating upon the surface of the 
sea as, for example, the cod, some flat fishes, Ctenolabrus, Cottus, 
etc. Eggs thus obtained are in excellent state for embryological 
purposes, and from the advanced state of their segmentation it is 
probable that they are deposited at night, which, as Mr. Ryder 
first observed, is the time chosen by many marine fishes. The 
s of Lophius float on the surface in the form of great ribbons, 
agglutinated by a mucous material. 
THE OsTEOLOGICAL CHARACTERS OF THE GENUS HISTRIOPHOCA. 
—About two years ago two specimens of the ribbon seal (H. 
fasciata), a male and a female, were obtained by Mr. Wm. H. Dall 
at Plover bay, East Siberia, and deposited in the National Mu- 
seum. In the skeleton of the female the preparation of which !s 
now completed, we have, so far as I am aware, the first accessible 
material for an accurate diagnosis of the genus. 
Diagnosis of the genus Histriophoca. —General appearance of the skull short, 
broad and rather high. s in Phoca and Halichærus, Molars 
small, conical, with rudimentary accessory cusps; single rooted, except the last mae 
ial ery S 
breadth. Nasal bones small and very short. Palatal area broad, elliptical, moder- 
ately emarginate behind. Narial septum nearly complete. Interorbital bridge nar- 
row; orbital fosse short but broad. Supraorbital processes rudimentary. 
case large, occupying one-half the length of the skull. Auditory bull very large. 
Lower jaw of medium length, small; rami in Phoca, Scapula without a 
mion. Iliac crests abruptly everted. First digit of the manus longest. 
From the foregoing diagnosis it is apparent that the genus 
bears close relations to the other genera of the sub-family. It's 
difficult to decide to which it most cl®ely approxima a) but 
is my intention to publish elsewhere, in a short time, a thorough 
description of the skeleton, upon a consideration of the charac: 
ae of which this view is based.—Frederick W. True, March 12, 
1883. 
THE BREEDING PLACE OF THE LITTLE AUK.—The accompany" 
ing view of Foul bay, on the west coast of Greenland, with ge 
ciers descending into the sea, is taken from Nordenskiold's voy- 
age of the Vega; while it is a characteristic Spitzbergen View, g 
probably fairly well represents the aspect of the coast of Mae 
during the height of the glacial period, it was designed by 
author to illustrate the breeding place of the little auk (Mergi if 
alle Linn.). This is one of the most abundant of the sea bir r 
Northern America and Europe, straying south in the winte 
along our coast as far as the Middle States, and being sometimes 
driven inland by storms. 
On Spitzbergen it occurs in incredible numbers, and ring 
the talus, 100 to 200 meters high, which frost and weathe 
form on the steep slopes of the coast mountain sides. 
stone heaps form the palace of the rotge (or sea king, 2 the 
1 In the Proceedings of the U. S. National Museum. 
