History of North American pinnipeds, a monograph of the walruses, sea-lions, sea-bears and seals of North America . onbetween this extremely attenuated example and the very thick,heavy skulls of the oldest males. While I do not deem it improbable, in view of all the facts ofthe case, that a species distinct from Phoca vitulina but of thesame general type of structure, though slenderer, may exist inthe North Pacific, and which may be referable to Temmincks ,P. nummularis, I feel disposed to leave the question open and ,for the present provisionally consider P. nummularis as a pos-sible, if not
History of North American pinnipeds, a monograph of the walruses, sea-lions, sea-bears and seals of North America . onbetween this extremely attenuated example and the very thick,heavy skulls of the oldest males. While I do not deem it improbable, in view of all the facts ofthe case, that a species distinct from Phoca vitulina but of thesame general type of structure, though slenderer, may exist inthe North Pacific, and which may be referable to Temmincks ,P. nummularis, I feel disposed to leave the question open and ,for the present provisionally consider P. nummularis as a pos-sible, if not a probable, synonym of P. vitulina. The Phoca concolor of DeKay, unquestionably based on the ^light phase of the common Harbor Seal of our eastern coast, jhas been referred by nearly all European writers, often with |expressions of doubt but frequently with entire positiveness, to .;Phoca fcetida, or the Ringed Seal, in consequence of its lightsilvery-gray color. 580 PHOCA VITULINA HARBOR SEAL. A curious mistake made by Peale in his (suppressed) reporton the Mammals and Birds of the United States Exploring Ex-. FK;. 44.—Halichcerus antarcticus, Peale=Phoca vitulina, f natural size. pedition under Commodore Wilkes has played an importantrole in the technical history of the species. A specimen (skin
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Keywords: ., bookcentury1800, bookdecade1880, bookpublisherwashingtongovtprin
