18 



in more southern waters. When they arrive in spring, they are rolling in 

 fat, and when they leave in the fall they are a bundle of skin and bones. 

 As soon as they arrive on the breeding grounds, each one, according to 

 his physical persuasive power, pre-empts a certain area, and remains 

 there, awaiting the arrival of his spouses, for the seal is polygamous. 

 Many of these adult males or bulls exhibit wonderful strength and des 

 perate courage. Prof. Elliott marked one veteran, " who had fought 

 forty or fifty desperate battles and fought off his assailants, who coveted 

 his position, every time. When the fighting season was over, the veteran 

 was covered with scars and frightfully gashed ; raw, festering and bloody, 

 one eye gouged out, but lording it bravely over his harem of fifteen or 

 twenty females, who were all huddled together on the same spot of his 

 first location and around him." Between the 12th and 14th of June 

 the first of the cow seals arrive at the islands. The arrival of the cows 

 is co-incident with the ending of the period of gestation, for one or two 

 days after arrival the pup is born. The young are nourished by the 

 mother, who frequently goes out to the sea to feed and bathe. The 

 pups do not essay to swim, which they must first learn, like any boy, 

 until they are a month or more old. The head and eyes of the female 

 are exceedingly beautiful ; the large, lustrous, blue-black eyes are humid 

 and soft, with tenderest expression. The covering to the body of 

 the fur-seal is composed of two coats, one having a short, crisp, 

 glistening over-hair ; and the other a close, soft, elastic pelage or fur, 

 which gives the distinctive value to the pelt. When the skin reaches 

 the furrier the hair has been removed and the pelage dyed. 



Two-thirds of all the males which are born, and they are equal in num- 

 ber to the females, arc never permitted by the remaining third, strongest 

 by natural selectton, to land upon the breeding ground, but this great 

 band of " bachelor " seals, as they are aptly termed, is obliged to live 

 apart entirely, sometimes miles away from the rookeries. In this ad- 

 mirably perfect method of nature are these seals, which can be properly 

 killed without injury to the rookeries, selected and held aside, so that 

 they can be taken without disturbing in the slightest degree the entire 

 quiet of the breeding grounds where the stock is perpetuated. Such 

 was, according to Prof. Elliott, the state of the rookeries in 1872-74, but 



