HABITS, 297 



ring there, and his description doubtless refers in part to both 

 species, but unquestionably relates mainly to the present one.* 

 His " Sketch of a sealing season upon Santa Barbara Island," 

 in 1852, presumably relates exclusively to Zaloph-us calif or - 

 n'nnt-us, but in addition to this I quote a few paragraphs from 

 his general account of "the Sea Lion," since it is the testimony 

 of a trustworthy eye-witness. "On approaching an island, or 

 point, occupied by a numerous herd," he observes, " one first 

 hears their long, plaintive howlings, as if in distress ; but when 

 near them, the sounds become more varied and deafening. The 

 old males roar so loudly as to drown the noise of the heaviest 

 surf among the rocks and caverns, and the younger of both 

 sexes, together with the -clapmatches,' croak hoarsely, or send 

 forth sounds like the bleating of sheep or the barking of dogs ; 

 in fact, their tumultuous utterances are beyond description. 

 A rookery of matured animals presents a ferocious and defiant 

 appearance ; but usually at the approach of man they become 

 alarmed, and, if not opposed in their escape, roll, tumble, and 

 sometimes make fearful leaps from high precipitous rocks to 

 hasten their flight. Like all the others of the Seal tribe, they 

 are gregarious, and gather in the largest numbers during the 

 ' pupping season, 7 which varies in different latitudes. On the 

 California coast it is from May to August, inclusive, and upon 

 the shores of Alaska it is said to be from June to October, dur- 

 ing which period the females bring forth their young, nurse 

 them, associate with the valiant males, and both unite in the 

 care of the little ones, keeping a wary guard, and teaching 

 them, by their own parental actions, how to move over the 

 broken, slimy, rock-bound shore, or upon the sandy, pebbly 

 beaches, and to dive and gambol amid the surf and rolling 

 ground-swells. At first the pups manifest great aversion to the 

 water, but soon, instinctively, become active and playful in the 

 element ; so by the time the season is over, the juvenile crea- 

 tures disappear with the greater portion of the old ones, only 

 a few of the vast herd remaining at the favorite resorts through- 

 out the year. During the pupping season, both males and fe- 

 males, so far as we could ascertain, take but little if any food, 

 particularly the males, though the females have been observed 



*Tliat Captain Scammoii confounded the two species of Northern Sea 

 Lions is evident not only from his published writings, but from his having 

 transmitted to the National Museum specimens of Zu I'liilua from Santa Bar- 

 bara Island, labelled by him " Eumetoplas stcUcri." 



