188 A NATURALIST ON THE "CHALLENGER." 



beating the ground for ducks, I looked round for other seals, and 

 on a shot being fired, I saw the head of an animal raised high 

 above the grass on the flat close to the beach, and about a 

 hundred yards off. I knew at first glance that it was a Fur 

 Seal, and made for it in all haste. The seal, or Sea Bear, was 

 lying in a sort of form in the grass. It contrasted most strongly 

 in its appearance and gait with the Sea Elephants we had just left. 



The Otariadce, or seals with external ears, differ from all 

 other seals in that, in progression on land, they turn their hinder 

 limbs or flippers forwards, and rest on the backs of them, and 

 raising the body from the ground with the fore limbs, shuffle 

 along with a sort of awkward walking gait, by the alternate use 

 of the hind limbs. All other seals keep their hind limbs stretched 

 straight out behind when on land as when in the water, and these 

 limbs are therefore of no aid in moving on land, which is accom- 

 plished entirely by undulating movements of the body. The 

 Otariadce are in fact connecting links between the true seals 

 and such beasts as the Sea Otter ; their limbs still retain some of 

 their old land functions. 



The Sea Bear has besides a thick coating of long hair, the 

 familiar thicker layer of silky fur beneath, which renders its 

 skin so valuable. The Sea Bears are nimble on land as compared 

 with the helpless Sea Elephants, and can climb up on to rocky 

 ledges, and even spring some little distance. 



The seal I had found was an old male, covered with greyish- 

 brown shaggy hair, and with a short greyish mane about the 

 neck. He moved his head up and down uneasily when dis- 

 turbed, as one sees a bear sway his head. One of the party 

 came up as we were watching him, and running up close to the 

 beast, as if it had been a helpless Sea Elephant, was forced to 

 retreat in a hurry, for the beast made a savage dash at him, open- 

 mouthed. 



The seal was very difficult to kill outright. Fur Seals 

 are easily knocked over with a blow on the nose, but are very 

 tenacious of life, and require to have their throats cut directly 

 they are stunned, or they escape after all. 



There are still a considerable number of Fur Seals about 

 Kerguelen's Land. I killed two ; two others were killed by our 



