Family 1. PHOCIDÆ.

Muffle hairy on the edge, and between the nostrils. Ears without any conch, merely a small aperture. Arms and legs very short; wrist very short. Toes subequal, arched, exserted. Hind feet large, fan-shaped; the inner and outer toes large and long, the three middle ones shorter. The palms and soles hairy. Claws distinct, sharp. Skull:—postorbital process none or obsolete; no alisphenoid canal; the mastoid process swollen, seeming to form part of the auditory bulla. The scapula expanded upwards and backwards towards the posterior superior angle. Testicles enclosed in the body of the animal, without any external scrotum.

Phocidæ, Gray, Ann. & Mag. N. H. 1869, vol. iv. pp. 268, 342, 344; Gill, Proc. Essex Instit. 1866, p. 5; Allen, Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool. ii, 1870.

Sect. I. Cutting-teeth 6/4, curved, conical, and small. The palate produced nearly to the hinder molars.

Tribe I. PHOCINA.

Skull tapering in front. Nose-hole moderate. Molars, except the first, with two roots.

Phocina, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 20.

Inhab. North Atlantic and Arctic Seas.

1. CALLOCEPHALUS.

Callocephalus, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 20.

2. PAGOMYS.

Pagomys, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 22.

3. PAGOPHILUS.

Pagophilus, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 25.

1. Pagophilus? equestris.

Brown, with a ring round the head, a ring round the fore limbs, and a broad band round the middle, white. The female whitish brown, with an obscure band across the hinder part of the back.

Phoca equestris, Pallas, Zoog. Ross.-Asiat. i. p. 340; Schrenck, Amur-Land, p. 182, tab. 9. figs. 1-3.

Phoca fasciata, Shaw, Zool. i. p. 276 (from the Ribbon-Seal, Pennant’s Quad. 276).

Phoca annellata, Radde, Reisen im Süden von Ost-Sibirien, 1862, i. p. 296, t. 1-3.

Inhab. North Pacific.

2. Pagophilus? ochotensis.

Phoca ochotensis, Pallas, Zoog. Ross.-Asiat. i. p. 117; Schrenck, Amur-Land, p. 181.

Inhab. North Pacific.

4. HALICYON.

Halicyon, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 27.

1. Halicyon Richardi.

Halicyon Richardi, Cat. S. & Whales, p. 30.

Inhab. North Pacific; Columbia River.

2. Halicyon Pealei.

Halichœrus antarcticus, T. Peale, U. S. Expl. Exp.

Mr. Gill says that this is a typical species of Phoca, but appears to be identical with those that occur along the Californian and Oregonian coast, so that there must be some error as to the assigned habitat in the Antarctic seas—and proposes the name Phoca Pealii (Proc. Essex Instit. vol. v. p. 4).

5. PHOCA.

Phoca, Cat. Seals & Whales, pp. 6 & 31.

Erignathus, Gill, 1865.

1. Phoca barbata.

Phoca barbata, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 31.

Phoca lanica, Rees, Cyclopædia, Phoca (from Lepechin).

Inhab. North Sea.

2. Phoca naurica.

Phoca barbata, Temminck, Fauna Japonica.

Phoca naurica et Phoca albigena, Pallas, Zoog. Ross.-Asiat. i. pp. 108, 109 (vide Schrenck); Schrenck, Amur-Land, p. 181.

Inhab. North Pacific; Japan. Mus. Leyden.

Tribe II. HALICHŒRINA.

Muzzle broad, rounded. Skull higher in front. Nose-hole very large. Grinders conical; the two hinder of the upper and the hinder one of the lower jaw double-rooted.

Inhab. North Atlantic and Arctic Seas.

6. HALICHŒRUS.

Halichœrus, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, pp. 6 & 33.

Sect. II Cutting-teeth four above, and four or two below.

Tribe III. MONACHINA.

Cutting-teeth 4/4; upper transversely notched. Palatine bones not produced beyond the inner margin of the orbits.

Inhab. Mediterranean and North Atlantic.

7. MONACHUS.

Monachus, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, pp. 6 & 17.

Tribe IV. STENORHYNCHINA.

Cutting-teeth 4/4; conical, acute. Hinder feet nearly clawless.

Stenorhynchina, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 8.

Inhab. Antarctic Ocean.

1. Lower jaw strong, angulated behind. Grinders two-rooted, except the first in each jaw.

8. STENORHYNCHUS.

Stenorhynchus, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 15; Gill, l. c. p. 10.

1. Stenorhynchus leptonyx.

Stenorhynchus leptonyx, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 16.

Stenorhynchus leptonyx (Sea-leopard), Abbott, P. Z. S. 1868, pp. 192 & 527.

Inhab. Falkland Islands (Abbott, Lecomte).

This Seal appears to extend from the Antarctic seas to New Zealand, the shores of New South Wales, and the Falkland Islands.

2. Lower jaw moderate. The three front upper and first front lower grinders single-rooted; the rest two-routed.

9. LOBODON.

Lobodon, Gray, Cat. Seals & Whales, p. 8; Gill, l. c. p. 10.

3. Lower jaw very weak. Front grinder in each jaw single-rooted; the rest two-rooted.

10. LEPTONYX.

Leptonyx, Gray, Cat. S. & W. p. 11; Gill, l. c. p. 10.

11. OMMATOPHOCA.

Ommatophoca, Gray, Cat. S. & W. p. 13; Gill, l. c. p. 10.

Tribe V. CYSTOPHORINA.

Cutting-teeth 4/4; grinders with large swollen roots and a small compressed simple plated crown. Muffle of male with a dilatable appendage.

Cystophorina, Gray, Cat. S. & W. p. 38.

12. MORUNGA.

Morunga, Gray, Cat. S. & W. p. 38.

Macrorhinus, Gill, l. c. p. 9.

1. Morunga elephantina.

Morunga elephantina, Cat. S. & W. p. 39.

One of the Falkland Islands is called Elephant Island, from the former abundance of Sea-elephants there; but Mr. Sclater informs us that when Lecomte visited it, it was “found to be quite deserted by this animal, which is said now to be entirely extinct in the Falklands, though its former abundance in certain spots is well known, and is further testified by remains of its bones and teeth met with on the shores, specimens of which were obtained and sent home.”—P. Z. S. 1868, p. 527. See Dr. Sclater’s previous statement, P. Z. S. 1868, p. 189.

This latter assertion is a mistake, for the bones sent home were those of O. jubata, as is proved by the following remarks of Dr. Murie:—“Lecomte and his companions believed these large old skulls of Otaria jubata [which he brought home] to be those of the Elephant-seal (Morunga elephantina), as it was stated by some of the party that those animals formerly did exist on this island. One of the pilots (Louis Despreaux by name) had resided thirty-two years on the Falkland Islands, and he distinctly remembered shooting many Elephant-seals in the neighbourhood in bygone years; but about twelve years ago they began to get scarce and disappear.” And further on he observes that they are “now only rarely met with in the Falklands.”—P. Z. S. 1869, pp. 106 & 109.

2. Morunga angustirostris.

Macrorhinus angustirostris, Gill, l. c. p. 13; Cope, Proc. Acad. N. Sc. Philad. 1865, p. 51.

Inhab. California from Cape San Lucas to Point Reyes.

Its colour is light brown when the hair is grown to the full length. The males are from 18 to 22 feet long. Females 10 feet long. Canines of the males 4 or 5 inches long.

13. CYSTOPHORA.

Cystophora, Gray, Cat. S. & W. p. 40; Gill, l. c.

North Atlantic.

Caspian Sea and Lake Baikal.

Tropical Atlantic.

Mediterranean and Subtropical Atlantic.

North Pacific.

Antarctic Ocean.

New Zealand.

Australia.