THE SEA-LION 279 



The Southern or Patagonian sea-lion was, in 1868, 

 according to Captain Abbott, very common on the Falk- 

 land Islands, where it bred and was little disturbed by 

 sealing boats. 



" There is a remarkable disparity," he tells us,* " be- 

 tween the male and female of this variety. The male is as 

 large as a bullock in circumference, while the female is 

 no bigger than a calf. At one time only the female was 

 killed by the sealers, as the skin of the male was con- 

 sidered to be of little value ; and this may account for the 



preponderance of males which I here observed I 



recollect on one occasion, accompanied by a friend, rolling 

 stones down from above on some that were lying on the 

 beach. When one was hit, he gave a roar and rushed 

 at his nearest companion, fancying no doubt that he had 

 attacked him ; others swallowed the stones thrown at 



them Although these animals are so unwieldy 



in appearance, they have wonderful powers of climbing, 

 chiefly by means of their flippers, and can ascend rocks 

 that are almost perpendicular. I recollect once watching 

 a number of seals from the top of a very steep ledge of 

 rock about twenty feet high, when upon hearing our 

 voices, a large sea-lion gave a sudden roar and rushod 

 up the rock where I was sitting. I fancy that it was on 

 account of a female companion near him that he made 

 this attack, as among about fifteen males, there appeared 

 to be only two females." 



Forster's sea-lion seems to have been seen by Captain 

 Cook off the north part of New Zealand, in January 

 1770, and later on he saw the largest animal of the kind 

 he had ever beheld. It was swimming on the surface of 

 the water and suffered its pursuers to come near enough 

 to fire at it, but after an hour's chase it got clear away. 



The sea-lions and sea-bears, both known by the common 

 term of " Eared-seals," are almost wholly confined to 



* " Proceedings of the Zoological Society, 1868," p. 191. 



