THE SOUTHERN SEA LION 



313 



I have since learned that in North America there was and may still be a regular business 

 for the supply of "sea-lion trimmings" to China, a set of trimmings consisting of the 

 vibrissae and dried genitalia of an adult male sea lion. The vibrissae are used as prickers 

 for opium pipes and the genitalia in the preparation of rejuvenating draughts for aged 

 mandarins. 



In recent years an attempt has been made to utilize the sea lions in the Falklands 

 commercially, the principal product being the oil ; hides also were exported but only 

 experimentally. The oil business has not met with success, partly because it was started 

 at a time when oil prices were falling and they have remained low ever since. 



The official returns made by the company include the number of seals killed and 

 the amount of oil produced ; but during part of the time for which returns are available 

 elephant seals were being taken as well as sea lions, and at two places special permission 

 was given to kill all stages of the sea Hon in order to reduce the damage they were 

 reported to be doing to pasture. Apart from such exceptions only adult male sea lions 

 could be killed. 



For the purposes of this paper selections have been made from the returns and they 

 comprise adult male sea lions only, these being the animals on which any commercial 

 operations must be based. The following figures are from the report for the year 1930: 



It will be observed that there is a steady rise in oil production per animal, that is of 

 fatness, through the winter up to October, when there is a sudden falling off. Five 

 catches for October are recorded and among themselves they show a downward 

 tendency, they are the following: 



* This catch of 52 animals includes three leopard seals. 



