Philip Lutley Sclater

“ Another attractive bird of the Alps is the Alpine Chough (Pyrrhocorax alpinus) , which may be seen in flocks in many of the precipitous cliffs of the higher mountains. There is a large company of them on the Görnergrat above the Riffelalp (alt. 10,200 ft.) , where they inhabit the southern face of the jagged rocks overlooking the Görner Glacier. They are continually on the move, uttering as they fly about a sort of subdued cackle, and making elegant evolutions in the air. At times they retreat into the ragged rocks, in the holes of which they no doubt build their nests. ”

“ At the same time it should be stated that indications have been discovered that a nearly allied form existed in the Atlantic in previous geological ages, though this is by no means certain. Besides Rhachianectes, Balæna, Megaptera, and Balænoptera are all represented in the North Pacific, and also many species of Delphinidæ of which little is at present known. But Rhytina and Rhachianectes are the only genera of marine mammals absolutely confined to Arctirenia. ”

“ VII. The Middle Atlantic Sea-region, or Mesatlantis.
Mesatlantis has certainly not so many forms of marine mammals confined to its area as Arctatlantis, but there seem to be good grounds for its separation. As we descend towards the tropics the True Seals, Phocinæ, which are constituted to live in colder water, gradually fall off in number, and in Mesatlantis are no longer met with. But in their place we find the genus Monachus, or Monk Seal, restricted to Mesatlantis; one species, M. albiventer, occurring in the Mediterranean and on the North African coast ”

“ The Phocidæ of the Antarctic Ocean all belong to genera distinct from the Arctic forms and more nearly allied to Monachus, the Seal of the Mid-Atlantic. They are of four species, belonging to as many genera: Ogmorhinus, Lobodon, Leptonychotes, and Ommatophoca. Besides these the Sea-elephant of the whalers, Macrorhinus, is essentially an Antarctic form, though now nearly extinct there, after long persecution by man. ”

“ Our Science of Zoology has suffered a most severe loss by the death, at his residence, 26, Stanhope Gardens, on the 1st of July last, of Sir William Flower, until lately Director of the Natural History Departments of the British Museum, and for the last twenty years President of the Zoological Society of London. ”

“ Beginning with the Otariidæ or Eared Seals, commonly known as Sea-lions and Sea-bears, we find the greater number of the species confined to the South Polar Ocean, where they pass most of their time at sea, but, as is well known, resort to the land at certain seasons for breeding purposes. ”

“ V. Division of the Marine Area of the Globe into Sea-regions.
From what has been already said, it will be evident that, although many of the marine mammals have a wide distribution, others are very definitely localized; and a study of the latter will, I think, enable us to divide the oceanic portion of the globe into six sea-regions, corresponding to a certain extent with the six land-regions into which I proposed to separate the terrestrial portion of the globe in 1874, and which were subsequently adopted by Mr. Wallace in his standard work on the Geographical Distribution of Animals. ”

“ On his return to this country young Flower, who had always shown a strong inclination for natural history and scientific work, and had become a Fellow of the Zoological Society of London in 1851, was appointed Assistant Surgeon and Demonstrator of Anatomy at Middlesex Hospital. ”

“ Aquatic mammals which pass their lives entirely, or, for the greater part, in the water are, of course, subject to very different laws of distribution from those of the terrestrial forms. As regards aquatic mammals, land is of course an impassable barrier to their extension, and, subject to restrictions in certain cases, water offers them a free passage. ”

“ They are usually rather shy, and it is difficult to get one's glasses well fixed on them, so lively are their movements; but when you get a good side light on them the spotted throat and rufous tinge on the flanks render them easily distinguishable.
The Snow-finch (Montifringilla nivalis) is also a characteristic bird of the high Alps from 8000 to 10,000 ft. I have seen small flocks of them on the Furka Pass and elsewhere. On the Riffelalp this year I only identified a single bird with certainty ”

“ The Nutcracker is certainly the most characteristic bird of the higher forests in Switzerland—that is, from 8000 to 10,000 ft.—and seems to be met with in nearly all the pine forests of that elevation. ”

“ III. Regio Indopelagica, characterized by the presence of the Sirenian Halicore and by the absence of Pinnipeds.
IV. Regio Arctirenica, with Phoca like the Regio Arctatlantica, but having Otaria also; the home of the (now extinct) Sirenian Rhytina and of the endemic Cetacean Rhachianectes. ”

“ I have no doubt that all these species would be found breeding there in the spring. Besides these, I noticed Chaffinches, flocks of Tits in the pine woods (Parus lugubris and P. cristatus) , and other well-known birds which it is not necessary to mention. Birds of prey, however, seemed to be unusually scarce. I heard rumours of an Eagle (?) ”

“ Catalogue of the Specimens illustrating the Osteology and Dentition of Vertebrated Animals, Recent and Extinct. Part I. Man; Part II. Mammalia. 8vo, London, 1879-84.
4. Fashion in Deformity (Nature Series) . 8vo, London, 1881.
5. List of the Specimens of Cetacea in the Zoological Department of the British Museum. 8vo, London, 1885.
6. Recent Memoirs on the Cetacea by Professors Eschricht, Reinhardt, and Lilljeborg. Edited by W.H. Flower, (Ray Society.) ”

“ Arctirenia.—Otaria.—Rhytina. Rhachianectes.
(5) Mesirenia.—Otaria. Macrorhinus.
(6) Notopelagia.—Ogmorhinus. Lobodon. Leptonychotes. Ommatophoca. Otaria.—Neobalæna. Berardius.
↑ By the courtesy of Dr. Sclater we have received an advance proof of this important paper, read before the Zoological Society of London on March 16th. ↑ See "A Review of the Family Delphinidæ," by Frederick W. True: Bull. U.S. Nat. Mus. No. 36, Washington, U.S. 1889. ↑ On former occasions I have used the term "lipotype" for a natural group which characterises a particular locality by its absence. ”