46 THE SEALS AND WALEUSES. 



numerous instances they have received Sea Lions into the aquarium which did not eat a morsel of 

 nourishment during- a whole month, and appeared to suffer but little inconvenience from their long 

 fast, 



"As tin- time approaches for their annual assemblage, those returning or coming from abroad 

 are seen near the shores, appearing wild and shy. Soon after, however, the females gather upon 

 the beaches, cliffs, or rocks, when the battles among the old males begin for the supreme control 

 of the harems; these struggles often lasting for days, the fight being kept up until one or both 

 become exhausted, but is renewed again when sufficiently recuperated for another attack ; and, really, 

 the attitudes assumed and the passes made at each other, equal the amplification of a professional 

 fencer. The combat lasts until both become disabled or one is driven from the ground, or perhaps 

 both become so reduced that a third party, fresh from his winter migration, drives them from the 

 coveted charge. The vanquished animals then slink off to some retired spot as if disgraced. 

 Nevertheless, at times, two or more will have charge of the same rookery; but in such instances 

 frequent defiant growliugs and petty battles occur. So far as we have observed upon the Sea 

 Lions of the California coast, there is but little attachment manifested between the sexes; indeed, 

 much of the Turkish nature is apparent, but the females show some affection for their offspring, 

 yet if alarmed when upon the land, they will instantly desert them and take to the water. The 

 young cubs, on the other hand, are the most fractious and savage little creatures imaginable, 

 especially if awakened from their nearly continuous sleeping; and frequently, when a mother 

 reclines to nurse her single whelp, a swarm of others will perhaps contend for the same favor. 



" To give a more detailed and extended account of the Sea Lions we will relate a brief sketch 

 of a sealing season on Santa Barbara Island. It was near the end of May, 1852, when we arrived, 

 and soon after the rookeries of 'clapmatches,' which were scattered around the island, began to 

 augment, and large numbers of huge males made their appearance, belching forth sharp, ugiy 

 howls, and leaping out of or darting through the water with surprising velocity, frequently diving 

 outside the rollers, the next moment emerging from the crest of the foaming breakers, and wad- 

 dling up the beach with head erect, or, with seeming effort, climbing some kelp-fringed rock, to 

 doze in the scorching sunbeams, while others would lie sleeping or playing among the beds of sea- 

 weed, with their heads and outstretched limbs above the surface. But a few days elapsed before 

 a general contention with the adult males began for the mastery of the different rookeries, and the 

 victims of the bloody encounter were to be seen on all sides of the island, with torn lips or muti- 

 lated limbs and gashed sides, while now and then an unfortunate creature would be met with minus 

 an eye or with the orb forced from its socket, and, together with other wounds, presenting a ghastly 

 appearance. As the time for 'hauling-up' drew near, the island became one mass of animation; 

 every beach, rock, and cliff, where a Seal could find foothold, became its resting-place, while a 

 countless herd of old males capped the summit, and the united clamorings of the vast assemblage 

 could be heard, on a calm day, for miles at sea. The south side of the island is high and precipi- 

 tous, with a projecting ledge hardly perceptible from the beach below, upon which one immense 

 Sea Lion managed to climb, and there remained ior several weeks until the season was over. 

 How he ascended, or in what manner he retired to the water, was a mystery to our numerous ship's 

 crew, as lie came and went in the night; for 'Old Gray,' as named by the sailors, was closely 

 watched i" his elevated position during the time the men were engaged at their work. 1 



1 "Relative to the Sea Lions leaping from giddy heights, an incident occurred at Santa Barbara Island, the last 

 of tin' season of 1KV_>, which we will here mention. A rookery of about twenty individuals was collected on the brink 

 of a precipitous dill', at a height at least, of sixty feet above the rocks which shelved from the beach below; and our 

 party were sure in their own minds, that, by surprising the animals, we could drive them over the cliff. This was 

 easily accomplished ; but to our chagrin, when we arrived at. the point below, where we expected to find the huge 

 beasts helplessly mutilated, or killed outright, the last animal of the whole rookery was seen plunging into the sea." 



