50 THE STELLF/K. 



An unfortunate, accident gave me an opportunity 

 of observing the manners and habits of these ani- 

 mals, daily, before the door of our hut. They de- 

 light in the shallow sandy places, near the shores 

 of the sea, and are very fond of frequenting the 

 mouths of brooks and little rivers, being allured by 

 the sweetness of the running water; they always go 

 in troops, the half grown and young occupy the 

 front in feeding, but are solicitously enclosed on 

 the flanks and rear, so as to be always kept in the 

 midst of the troop. When the tide is high, they 

 come so close to the shore, that I have not only fre- 

 quently touched them with a staff or lance, but have 

 placed my hand upon their backs. If struck with 

 some force, they did nothing more than move a lit- 

 tle farther off, and in a short time forgetting the in- 

 jury, they would return. Entire families common- 

 ly live together, a male with a single female, and a 

 small quite young cub. They appeared to me to 

 be monogamous, bringing forth at any time of the 

 year, but most generally in the autumn, as I should 

 judge from the young about that time; hence as I 

 have observed them, most especially to couple in 

 the spring. I have concluded, that they bear their 

 young for more than a year, and do not bring forth 

 but one cub at a birth. I never observed more than 

 one cub in company with the mother. 



Georgio Wilhelmo Stellero." Vide Nov. Comm. Acad. 

 Scien. Tmper. Petropolhance, torn. 2, p. 289, 294, et seq. 



