7/28/2019 TasNat 1927 Vol2 No2 Pp16 Lord Sea Elephant
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16 THE TASMANIAN NATURALIST.
The Sea Elephant.(Macrorhinus leoninus).
Yeats ago sea elephants occurred on King Island, in
J3as8Straits. The ruthless destruction of the early days of last
century exterminated the species in Tasmanian waters, and
forprobably a century there has not been a Tasmanian record.
Thebleak shores of Macquarie Island shelter a few remnants offormer
large herds, and it was probably a straggler from thisSouthern
outpost which reached Tasmanian shores lastChristmas.
The specimen was first noted at Orford, on the East Coast,but
early in January became stranded in Wedge Bay, where, hewas secured
by certain of the inhabitants. Fortunately, owingto the foresight
of a local resident, the skeleton was secured forthe Tasmanian
Museum, and a detailed description willprobably be published by the
Royal Society of Tasmania.
