HABITS 257 



element, and they swim with great speed and ease, quite un- 

 mindful of the heavy surf and of the breakers on the ledges. 

 In landing, they are apt to take advantage of a heavy wave, 

 which helps them to get the forward flippers on terra firma. 

 As the wave retreats, they begin to struggle up the steep rocks, 

 twisting the body from side to side, with a clumsy worm-like 

 motion, and thus alternately work their flippers into positions 

 where they may force the body a little onward. At such times 

 they have a general appearance of sprawling over the ground. 

 It is quite astonishing to see how they will go up surfaces having 

 even a greater inclination than 45, and where a man would have 

 to creep with much exertion. When the surface is nearly 

 horizontal, they go faster, and often proceed by gathering their 

 hind-quarters under them, raising themselves on the edges 

 of their fore-limbs and then giving a push, whereby they make 

 a sort of tumble forwards. In their onward path they are 

 accompanied by the loud barking of all the Seals they pass ; 

 and these cries may be heard a great distance. Having 

 arrived at a good basking-place, they stretch themselves out in 

 various attitudes, often on the side, sometimes nearly on the 

 back, but commonly on the belly, with the flippers somewhat 

 extended. They seem much oppressed with their own weight 

 (which is usually supported by the water), and it seemed an 

 exertion for them even to raise the head, though it is often kept 

 up for a long time. They play among themselves continually 

 by rolling on each other and feigning to bite. Often, too, they 

 will amuse themselves by pushing off those that are trying to 

 land. All this is done in a very cumbrous manner, and is 

 accompanied by incessant barking. As they issue from the 

 water, their fur is dark and shining; but, as it dries, it becomes 

 of a yellowish brown. Then they appear to feel either too dry 

 or too hot, for they move to the nearest point from which they 

 may tumble into the sea. I saw many roll off a ledge at least 

 twenty feet high, and fall, like so many huge brown sacks, into 

 the water, dashing up showers of spray."* 



From the accounts given by various observers, the Sea Lions 

 evidently move with much less facility on land than do the Fur 

 Seals, doubtless mainly from their much greater size. The young 

 and the females of several of the different species of these 

 animals are described as walking with much greater ease and 

 rapidity than the half- grown and the more unwieldy old males. 



*Bull. Mus. Comp. Zool., ii, pp. 66, 67. 



Misc. Pub. No. 12 -17 



