1899] 



THE HABITS OF THE NORTHERN FUR SEAL 



35 



the mass of seals already on shore, but whenever a new-comer approached 

 the edge of a rookery she was received with such a series of snaps 

 that in one case at least I saw a female go right round the mass two 

 or three times before she could get in. When such a seal has at last 

 got into the rookery her progress to a resting-place is one constant 

 series of fights, as she scrambles over the backs of her sleeping sisters, 

 and finds her course disputed by each one in her way. 



At this early part of the season the number of cows on shore did 

 not seem to be appreciably affected by the weather, and I do not 

 believe they will under any circumstances leave their newly-born pups. 



So too at Kishotchnaya from the 29th June to the 3rd of July the 

 cows were constantly arriving in large numbers, yet during that time 

 there was never any great number of them in the sea, only about 

 enough, in fact, to account for the newly-arrived females. I do not 

 wish to say that the cows never left their pups, but I am certain that 

 very few did so, and the number going to sea was always very much less 

 than that of those coming from the water. At this time they have 

 little or no fear even of a man, and can be approached and photographed 

 at any near range. Those cows who pup late in the season stick 

 equally close to their pups, and I found a young cow at Palata on the 

 9 th August who stood up to me as boldly as a bull, and allowed me 

 to photograph her and her pup at a distance of only a few feet. 



Exactly how long the cows stay thus on shore after they have 

 pupped it is in the present state of our knowledge impossible to say, 

 but a small amount of light is thrown upon the question by the move- 

 ments of one of the South rookery cows, whose back was marked with 

 flesh-coloured spots in such a manner that she was always easily 

 recognisable. This cow hardly moved her position during the three 

 days of my first visit to the rookery : — 



First seen. 



Asleep with pup in same place. 



Asleep a yard or two from former 



position. 

 Asleep with pup in same place. 

 Still asleep in much the same place. 

 Not noted. 



Asleep near same position. 

 Not noted. 



Asleep near old position. 

 "Went away with some stampeded seals. 

 Absent. 



Again ashore near old position. 

 Asleep with other cows on rock to south 



of rookery. 

 Asleep on small rock near rookery. 

 Asleep on rookery near old place. 

 Ditto. 

 Not seen. 

 Ditto. 



