Pinnipedia. MAMMALIA. Pinnipedia. Ixxvii 
slender shape, being much like a double cone, lai’gest 
at the middle and tapering at the extremities. 'I'he 
liead is broad and rather flat ; the external ear black, 
narrow, pointed, and projecting backwards. Tlie 
fore-paws are situated in tlie middle of tlie body, and 
liave no nails. 'I'he hind flippers are rhomboidal in 
shape, and have a fleshy and membraneous expan- 
sion, which is terminated with five straps. 'I’here are 
nails to the toes, excepting the great one, those of 
the three middle being much the larger, and quite 
straight. 'I’here are five rows of whiskers of a 
brownish-black color, the hairs simple and tapering. 
In some specimens a dark marking under the eye is 
observed. 'I’he disproportion between the size of the 
male and female is quite surprising. 'I'he male measures 
nearly seven feet in length, and the female three and 
a half feet. This species is particularly polygamous ; 
as many as twenty females often coming under the 
care of one male. In the early part of December the 
females land to produce their young, the male re- 
maining with them during the period of gestation, 
the time being about twelve months. 'I’liey seldom 
have more than one at birth. Great affection is 
displayed by them at this season, their young being- 
tended with the greatest care. In about four weeks 
the young are able to take to the water. A singular 
fact, made apparent by close scientific observers, is 
that the young are taught by the mother to swim. 
'I’his process being soon completed, the young are 
abandoned to their own ways, remaining near shore 
until the coats of fur and hair are fully developed. 
When the South Shetland Seals were first visited 
they had no fear of man, and would even show no 
apprehension when their fellows were being de- 
stroyed around them. 
CAPE HAIR SEAL [Arctocephalus ? niwsus) . — Dr. 
Gray has this recorded in Cat. Seals and Whales in 
Brit. Mus., 1866, with a ? after the generic term, 
'i’he fur of the Cape Hair Seal is very short, close- 
pressed, black in color, varied with close, small, often 
confluent, white spots ; the under side of the neck with 
a few scattered, white hairs, 'i'he belly is red-brown 
(nearly bay) ; hairs are short and thick, and bearing- 
one color to the base, 'ihere is no under fur, except- 
ing a trifle upon the crown of the head, 'ihe speci- 
men here described is in the British Museum ; the 
skull, unfortunately, is not with it, and, therefore, 
there is no information concerning it. A synonym 
is A. ? nivosus, Ann. and Mag. Nat. Hist., 1866. It 
is very different from A. antarcticus in the form and 
length of the hair, and by being almost destitute of 
under fur. 
Tribe IV— ZALOPHHSTA. 
'I'he mol-ars in this group are f-f-, large, thick, in 
a close continuous series, the fifth upper in front of 
the back edge of the zygomatic arch. 'I’he grinders 
are all single-rooted ; in the younger skull they are 
placed rather further back, the hinder part of the 
upper molar being behind the back edge of the zygo- 
matic arch. 'I’he last or sixth molar in each jaw, which 
is generally two-rooted, is absent. 'I'he face of the skull 
is produced considerably, and the forehead is flat. 
Zai.ophus. 
'I’his, the typical genus, has the palate concave, 
narrow in front, wider at the line of the last molar, 
and then contracted behind. 'I’he hinder nares are 
narrow, elongate, twice as long as wide, acutely 
arched in front, front edge in a line with the front 
edge of the orbital process of the malar bone. The 
under fur is sparsely set. 
CALIFORNIAN HAIR SEAL {Zalophus gilliespii ). — 
'I'his is the Otaria gilliespii of Macbain ; Arctoce- 
phalus gilliespii of Gray, Proe. Zool. Soc., 1859, in 
which the skull is figured life-size ; and Z. gilliespii 
of Gill and Allen. 'I'he localities of habitat are 
given as North Pacific, South California and Japan. 
Gray says he has not seen the skull from a Japanese 
specimen, and is, therefore, not able to judge whether 
it is the same as the Californian. He remarks that 
the species is at once known by the length of the 
face, and that a line drawn across the palate at the 
front edge of the zygomatic arch leaves one third of 
the palate behind the line, and two thirds in front. 
'I'his is in all other species of the genus, but in this 
one it leaves only one fourth behind. 
Neophoca. 
'[’he palate in this genus is concave, broad, as 
broad before as at the hinder part of the tooth- 
line, then rather suddenly contracted ; the hinder 
nares broad, rather longer than broad, with the front 
edge broadly arched, which is further back than the 
front edge of the orbital process of the zygomatic 
arch, or malar bone, which is thick and flat. 'I’here 
is very little under fur. 'I’he toe-flaps are moderately 
developed. 
AUSTRALIAN HAIR SEAL {Neophoca Mata).— 
'I'his species is Otaria australis of Quoy and Gainiard, 
Voyage of the Astrolabe-, and Zalophus lobatus of 
Allen, in Bui. Mus. Comp. Zool., Camh. Mr. Allen 
considers this as undoubtedly the Otaria cinerea of 
Desmarest, from Peron. 'I’he upper grinders are all 
single-rooted, the root of the last two (the fourth 
and fifth) being- rather compressed, with an obscure 
central longitudinal groove on the inside ; the first 
two grinders of the lower jaw with oblong, the last 
three with compressed roots, and the fourth and 
fifth with a slight longitudiiial groove on the side. In 
the younger skulls the roots of the grinders are more 
oblong, less compressed, and do not show the lateral 
grooves, as far as the teeth can be seen, without be- 
ing- drawn from the sockets. 
Tribe V— EUMBTOPHNA. 
'I’he molars are |-f, more or less far apart ; the 
hinder upper behind the hinder edge of the zygomatic 
arch, and separated from the other grinders by a 
concave space. 
Eometopias. 
'I'here is no under fur to species of this genus. 'I’he 
palate is flattish, or rather concave in front, as wide in 
front as at the end of the tooth-line, and then slight- 
