Zoology.] 



NATURAL HISTORY OF VICTORIA. 



[Mammalia. 



on the inner side, with a very faint indication on the outer side of base ; second 

 molar slightly larger than the first, with the cusps at base more strongly developed ; 

 the anterior one somewhat larger and diverging 

 more from the crown than the posterior one ; third 

 molar a little larger, with the cusps still more 

 developed ; fourth nearly resembling the third ; 

 fifth directed obliquely backwards with the cusps 

 nearly equal ; sixth, or hindermost, molar directed 

 obliquely backwards and downwards, with the 

 cusps scarcely marked, being nearly obsolete behind 

 and before ; the space between the fifth and sixth 

 molar is much greater than that between the 

 others ; canine, 11 lines long, 6 J lines wide at base, 

 interval between it and the canine-like outer incisor, 

 3 lines; conical canine-like outer incisor, 6 lines 

 long, 3 lines wide at base ; inner notched incisors, 

 2 lines long ; the 6 incisors occupying a space of 

 1 inch 2 lines. The last upper molar has a long 

 anterior fang abruptly arched forward from the end 

 of the shorter straight hind fang ; the roots of the 

 other molars only divided by a shallow groove ; 5 

 molars in lower jaw, each with the anterior and 

 posterior cusps well-marked, occupying a space of 

 1 inch 10 lines ; lower canine, 1 inch 1 line long, 

 7 lines wide at base. Palate hollowed in front, 

 becoming flattened behind, bordered externally by 

 two blunt rounded ridges, extending to the outward 

 curved hamuli of the pterygoid bone ; shape of 

 notch in posterior edge of palate bone variable, 

 being in the male (marked c above) semi-elliptically 

 curved, the vacancy being- 1 inch wide at posterior 

 junction of the palate with the pterygoid, and ex- 

 tending 1 inch 4 lines forward, or a little behind 

 the line of the orbital process of the zygoma ; while 

 in the female (marked a above) it extends forward 

 at an acute angle as far as a line across middle of 

 sixth molars, and is much narrowed abruptly in the View of sku11 from below > showing the eion- 



, • i ip r» ,i ,i • i' , p ji • j_ gate form of the hind edge of palate in 



anterior halt of the notch, m front of the point 

 where the shorter and wider notch of the other 

 skull described ends. (See wood-cut.) In the 

 latter skull the hamuli of the pterygoid bone are 

 not produced at juncture with palate bone. 



Reference. — Otaria cinerea, Peron, Voy. aux Ter. Aust. 2, 77; Quoy and 

 Gaimard, Zool. du Voy. de l'Astrolabe, Mam. 1. 12, 1. 13, 1. 15, figs. 1 and 2 ; Gray, 

 Hand List of Seals, &c, t. 26. 



gate! 



one skull, and the shorter rounded form 

 (indicated by white dotted outline) in 

 another, agreeing in all other respects. 

 The lower figure is a view of same skull from 

 behind, showing little or no crest behind 

 and the convexity between the eyes in 

 front. 



The Eared Seals, or Sea-Bears as they are called, inhabiting the 

 coasts of Australasia present very great difficulties in their deter- 

 mination, from the imperfection of the descriptions and definitions of 

 various writers, and from the uncertainty often arising as to which 

 species, defined by the skins, agreed with species defined by the 

 Dec. iv. [91 b 



