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THE ZOOLOGIST
No. 699.— September, 1899.
THE "SEA-ELEPHANT" (MACRORHINUS
ELEPHANTINUS).
(Plate III.)
Some few months ago Mr. Robert Service, of Dumfries, kindly forwarded to us a photograph of a specimen of this animal which had been killed on the Falkland Islands. This photograph, however, was too faint for reproduction, and, at our request, he asked his correspondent, Mr. Wm. Grierson, of Stanley, F. I., to send us, if possible, a better impression. This has now been received, and is reproduced in the accompanying Plate. With the photograph, Mr. Service received the following letter from the capturer of this interesting beast:—
"Stanley, F.I., June 21st, 1899.
"Dear Sir,—Mr. Grierson gave me your letter of April 20th, enquiring about the 'Sea-Elephant.' I beg for your information to say that the animal is now very scarce, this being, I believe, the only grown one killed on these islands for the past twenty-five years. One was seen on the north coast about a year ago, but I have not heard of it since I killed the one, of which you saw the photograph, about this time last year, while I was killing a few Sea-Lions on a small island about fourteen miles to the southward of Stanley. I killed two Seals about 7 ft. long, and not until I saw the grown Elephant could I find out what they were. I then saw that they had been young Elephants.
"It was on February 6th last that the large one in question was found hauled up to high-water mark on the south shore of Stanley Harbour, and about one hundred yards to the east of the Settlements.
Zool. 4th ser. vol. III., September, 1899.
2 c
