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Show 1875.] MR. J. W. CLARK ON EARED SEALS. 671 our animal. It corresponds exactly in all its most important points, as in colour, position and shape of nostrils, and form of the hind feet. The only sentence that puzzles me is that referring to the molar teeth. Forster says : - " A t their roots on each side [utrinque] are rudiments, like the germs of new teeth." From the use of the word "utrinque" in other parts of his description, I feel nearly sure that he means "on both sides of the jaw ;" but of course the word would most naturally signify " on both sides of the tooth," and imply that it had two subordinate cusps. This, however, would not agree, so far as we know any thing about the New-Zealand Seals, with the possession of copious under-fur. There is a figure of this Otaria among Forster's drawings in the British Museum, which were executed, not by John Iteinhold Forster, but by his son George Forster. It is on a folio page 19y"x 13", marked (2). It represents a small Otaria lying on a rock, with its feet stretched out behind it, of a dark brown colour. It is badly drawn, and very unlike Forster's vigorous and artistic style. The nails are indicated as being distant from the free edge of the cartilage by about their own length. The snout is made to project considerably beyond the lower lip. Beneath is written, in pencil " P H O C A URSINA-potius volans," antarctica, for ursina, having been erased,-and on back, " Dusky Bay, a young animal 6 to 10 feet in lengh " (sic). The sketch is not signed " G. Forster" as most of the others are*. In the Zoology of the Voyage of the 'Astrolabe,' by Quoy and Gaimard, two species of Otaria are described-one called Otarie cendree, and the other Otarie australe ; and the skull and animal of both species are figured. Let us take the former first. The authors regard it as identical with the Otaria cinerea of Peron. If so, it cannot be our animal; for Peron describes his Otaria cinerea as having " short, hard, coarse hair," and contrasts it with " Seals of smaller size which possess fur of good quality." Again, the description of Messrs. Quoy and Gaimard indicates an animal with * As Forster's drawings of Otarias are often referred to, and as, with reference to this very species, I find in Dr. Cray's latest publication ('Hand-List of Seals, etc. p. 35) the following statement-" Several beautiful drawings of the animal were made for Sir Joseph Banks, which are now with the rest of his drawings in the Botanical Department in the British Museum,"-I examined the set carefully last summer, and found that there were only three drawings of Pinnipedia in all. The first is the one described above, marked " 2." That marked " 3 " is a double sheet of paper 28//x21", labelled "Phoca leonina, Linn.," and Jan. 11, 1775 in corner. "Phoca leonina " is written again at the bottom of the page-and on back, " South Georgia." It is a pencil sketch of a large Pinniped, with the upper jaw projecting considerably beyond the lower, but is clearly not an Otaria. It is probably a Sea-elephant. Nails are indicated on fore flippers, none on hind. Signed in left corner, "Forster." That marked " 4 " is a v<?ry spirited sketch in pencil, as large as the last, of an old male Sea-lion with an abundant mane, in a sitting position, upright and defiant, with his hind feet brought under his body. It is marked " Phoca jubata, Staten Land, 2 Jan. 1775," and on back "Year's Islands, near Staten Land." It has been signed in left corner ; but the signature has become nearly obliterated. Only part of the last syllable remains, but enough to show that the handwriting is the same as that on the others. PROC. ZOOL. Soc-1875, No. XLIII. 43 |
