Zoological Society bulletin (1911) (14783138833)

Identifier: zoologica455019111912newy (find matches)

Title: Zoological Society bulletin

Year: 1901 (1900s)

Authors: New York Zoological Society

Subjects: Zoology

Publisher: (New York) : New York Zoological Society

Contributing Library: Smithsonian Libraries

Digitizing Sponsor: Biodiversity Heritage Library

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een given up, but it was partially revived again between theyears 1880 and 1881. During the winter of1883-1, Dr. Charles H. Townsend investigatedthe conditions and secured specimens for theSmithsonian Institution. As far as could belearned about 260 elephant seals were takenfrom 1880 to 1881. Since that time only oc-casional individuals have been recorded and thespecies has been supposed to be extinct. These facts lend the greatest interest to thecapture of six young specimens by the expedi-tion from the American Museum of NaturalHistory and the New York Zoological Society,now working off Lower California under thedirection of Dr. Townsend. These specimenswere crated separately and shipped by expressfrom San Diego. They arrived at the NewYork Aquarium on March 13, apparently nonethe worse for their six da3ys trip. As no information in regard to their feedinghabits could be obtained from the scanty scien-tific literature dealing with these animals, they 760 ZOOLOGICAL SOCIETY BULLETIN.

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THE SNOUT IS JUST BEGINNING TO DEVELOP AND CAN BE PROTRUDED ONLY A COUPLE OF INCHES. were offered a variety of food consisting ofnumerous kinds of fishes besides crustaceansand squids. For a few days, probably becauseof their strange environment, they took no foodat all, but their appetites gradually returned,and they now require daily six or seven poundsof food apiece. All sorts of fish appear to beacceptable, but they are chiefly fed on smelts,torn cods, roach and pieces of cod. The food isnot bolted whole, as is the case with most seals,but is well crushed before being swallowed.After the food is secured the animal usuallyturns upon its back during the processes ofmastication and swallowing. There are no car-nassial nor molariform teeth in the molar series,but the small, blunt-conical teeth, separated byrather wide diastemmata or spaces, are sufficientto crush the flesh of the fish and reduce it to apulpy condition before it is swallowed. The age of these specimens is uncertain, as

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1911

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