July 10, 1914 
ll 
I 
Vol. XXVII, pp. 145-150 
PROCEEDINGS 
OK THK. 
BIOLOGICAL SOCIETY OF WASHINGTON 
GENERAL NOTES. 
THE SYSTEMATIC NAME OF THE PACIFIC AYALRUS. 
The Pacific walrus is usually known as Odobenus obesus (Illiger, 1815) 
upon the strength of Illiger’s Trichechus obestis in the Abh. Akad. AViss. 
Berlin, 1804-1811 (1815) Phys. Klasse, pp. 04, 70, and 75. An examina¬ 
tion of Illiger’s paper, entitled “ Ueherblick der Saugthiere nach ihrer 
A'ertheilung fiber die AA'elttheile ” shows that Trichechus obesus is an 
absolute nomen nudum without any trace of diagnosis, indication, or 
literary reference whatsoever. On page 68 of the same memoir, however, 
Illiger gives a perfectly tenable name to the same animal in the following 
sentence; “Ausserdem schon bei Europaerwahnten Wallross, Tricheclms 
Rosmarus, findetsichan der westlichen Nord-Amerikanischen und nahen 
Ost-Asiatischen Kfiste, und dem Eise dieser Aleere, vielleicht aber auch 
an der ganzen Kfiste des Eismeers das von CAok beschriebene und 
abgebildete AAMllross, das ich wegen mehrerer AYrschiedenheiten, beson- 
ders der Ilauzahne, als eigne Art unter dem Namen divergens aufgeffihrt 
babe.” 
The reference to Cook’s description and figure relates unquestionably 
to the “ Sea Horse ” of Cook’s “ Third AMyage.” * On pp. 457-460 of 
vol. 2 of the original quarto edition, and on pp. 40-44 of vol. 3 of the 
abridged octavo edition which was published simultaneously, Capt. Cook 
gives an account of the walrus killed at lat. tO 6'^ N., long. 196 42 E. 
This locality, roughly, between 30 and 40 miles southwe.st of Icy Cape, 
northern Alaska, is therefore the type-locality, and the proper name of 
the Pacific walrus will stand as Odobenus divergens (Illiger). 
— Leonhard^ Stejneger. 
♦The title of this work is: A Voyage to tlie Pnoifie Ocean. Unrlertaken. Iwthe Com¬ 
mand of His Majesty, for making Discoveries in (he Northern Hemisphere. . . . 
Performed under the Direction of Captains Cook, Clerke. and (iorc. . . . Vol. 1 and 
II written by Captain .lames Cook, F. K. .s. Vol. Ill by Captain .lames King, LL. D. 
and F. R. S. . . . London: Printed by W. and A. Straham: for G. Nicol, . . . 
MDCCLXXIV. 
33_Proc. Biol. Soc. Wash., Vol. XXVII, 1914. 
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