86 NATURAL HISTORY OF AQUATIC ANIMALS. 







imagined; she is the very picture of benignity and satisfaction, when she is perched np on some 

 convenient rock, and has an opportunity to quietly fan herself, the eyes half-closed and the head 

 thrown back on her gently-swelling shoulders. 



The females land on these islands not from the slightest desire to see their uncouth lords and 

 masters, but from an accurate and instinctive appreciation of the time in which their period of 

 gestation ends. They are in fact driven up to the rookeries by this cause alone ; the young cannot 

 be brought forth in the water, and in all cases marked by myself, the, pups were born soon after 

 landing, some in a few hours, but most usually a da.y or so elapses before delivery. 



ORGANIZATION OP THE ROOKERIES. They are noticed and received by the males on the 

 water-line stations with attention ; they are alternately coaxed and urged up on to the rocks, as 

 far as these beach-masters can do so, by chuckling, whistling, and roaring, and then they are 

 immediately under the most jealous supervision ; but, owing to the covetous and ambitious nature 

 of the bulls which occupy these stations to the rear of the water-line and way back, the little cows 

 have a rough-and-tumble time of it when they begin to arrive in small numbers at first, for no 

 sooner is the pretty animal fairly established on the station of male number one, who has welcomed 

 her there, than he, perhaps, sees another one of her style in the water from whence she has come, 

 and, in obedience to his polygamous feeling, he devotes himself anew to coaxing the later arrival, 

 by that same winning manner so successful in her case ; then when bull number two, just back, 

 observes bull number one off guard, he reaches out with his long strong neck and picks up the 

 unhappy but passive cow by the scruff of her's. just as a cat does a kitten, and deposits her upon 

 his seraglio ground ; then bulls number three and four, and so on, in the vicinity, seeing this 

 high-handed operation, all assail one another, especially number two, and for a moment have a 

 tremendous fight, perhaps lasting half a minute or so, and during this commotion the little cow is 

 generally moved, or moves, farther back from the water, two or three stations more, where, when 

 all gets quiet again, she usually remains in peace. Her last lord and master, not having the 

 exposure to such diverting temptation as her first, gives her such care that she not only is unable 

 to leave, did she wish, but no other bull can seize upon her. This is only a faint (and I fully 

 appreciate it), wholly inadequate description of the hurly-burly and the method by which the 

 rookeries are filled up, from first to last, when the females arrive. This is only one instance of 

 the many trials and tribulations which both parties on the rookery subject themselves to, before 

 the harems are filled. 



Far back, fifteen or twenty " See-catchie" stations deep from the water-line, and sometimes 

 more, but generally not over an average of ten or fifteen, the cows crowd in at the close of the 

 season for arriving, which is by the l()th or 14th of July; then they are able to go about pretty 

 much as they please, for the bulls have become so greatly enfeebled by this constant fasting, 

 fighting, and excitement during ihe past two mouths, that they are quite content now even with 

 only one, or two partners, if they should have no more. 



The cows seem to haul up in compact bodies from the water, filling in the whole ground to 

 the rear of the rookeries, never scattering about over the surface of this area ; they have mapped 

 out from the first their chosen resting places, and they will not lie quietly in any position outside 

 of the great I-.K.SS of their kind. This is due to their intensely gregarious nature, and admirably 

 adapted for their protection. And here I should call attention to the fact that they select this 

 rookery-ground with all the skill of civil engineers. It is preferred with special reference to the 

 drainage, for it must lie so that the produce of the constantly dissolving fogs and rain-clouds 

 shall not lie upon them, having a great aversion to and a firm determination to rest nowhere on 

 water-puddled ground. This is admirably exhibited, and will be understood by a study of my 



