468 University of California Publications in Geology [Vol.7 



data : 5 adult ; Point Sur, Monterey County, California ; March 

 10, 1908; collected by J. Rowley) now a very rare animal off the 

 coast of California, has been added to the collection of the 

 Museum of Vertebrate Zoology of the University of California, 

 and makes possible the present study. Additional material 

 at hand consists of a skull of Latax lutris lutris (Linnaeus) (no. 

 8124) from the collection of the Department of Palaeontology of 

 the University of California, as well as a number of skulls and 

 skeletons of Lutra canadensis (Schreber), Taxidea taxus (Schre- 

 ber) and Phoca vitulina Linnaeus, contained in the collection of 

 the Museum of Vertebrate Zoology and in that of the Depart- 

 ment of Palaeontology of the University of California. 



6956. Univ. Calif. Mus. Vert. Zool.). 



The sex of the specimen of Latax lutris lutris is unknown, 

 but the size of the skull and the degree of development of the 

 processes for muscle attachment, together with the degree of 

 wear of the teeth and ankylosis of the bones, might indicate 

 that it is an old male. 



Through the kindness of Professor Edwin Chapin Starks of 

 Stanford University, the writer has been enabled to examine a 

 mounted skeleton of an adult Latax lutris nereis in the museum 

 of that institution. 



Grateful acknowledgment is made to Professor John C. 

 Merriam. head of the Department of Palaeontology of the 

 University of California, for generous criticism and suggestion. 



