THE SOUTHERN SEA LION 299 



It cannot be definitely stated when the breeding season begins or ends; it is at its 

 height in the first half of January, but some pups are born in December and pairing 

 goes on until near the end of January. The break up of the harems is gradual and its 

 efi'ects are visible early in February, that is to say as soon as all the cows have been 

 covered or at any rate all except stray individuals; but at the time named, early 

 February, the bulls still display their masculine ferocity. The season may be taken as 

 being approximately December to February, but since Otaria is more or less resident 

 on its rookeries the breeding season is not nearly so well defined as that of Callorhinus 

 alascaims, which is possibly the only completely migratory Otariid (see also p. 305). 



The actual breeding sites are always above ordinary high-water mark; although 

 I have seen sites flooded by exceptionally high tides. They are always protected in 

 some way from the full force of the sea. The rookery may be situated on a beach which 

 is itself not exposed, such as some of those on the islands in Falkland Sound, or the 

 beach may be so wide that this is in itself an adequate protection ; failing these, off-lying 

 rocks, reefs or kelp-beds will supply the deficiency. On some beaches the defences' 

 are only effective in summer; when the autumn gales begin such sites are abandoned, 

 whole crowds of sea lions moving simultaneously to more sheltered places (see p. 302). 



The breeding herd is not found in a continuous mass, but is broken up into separate 

 rookeries by unsuitable stretches of coast ; the actual nature of the coast is a matter of 

 indifl^erence, as breeding takes place on shingle, chff talus or flat shelves. 



Each rookery consists of one or more harems, and when more than one is present 

 the rookery appears to be a continuous mass of cows with the bidls dotted about 

 among them. The harem formation is the result of the bulls taking up their stations 

 and, as the cows collect, of each bull keeping control of as many cows as he can 

 (Plate II; Plate III, figs. 3, 4; Plate IV, fig. i). Owing to the large excess of adult 

 males the average number of cows in a harem is less than the bulls can look after, 

 quite a large proportion of them having only one cow. 



The bulls take an interest in the young cows as early as August and no doubt do 

 their best to retain them until they come on heat. About the time mentioned I shot 

 two young cows and on both occasions had great difliculty in driving oft" the bulls. 

 One of them could hardly have been more infuriated if it had been the height of the 

 breeding season. 



There is no attempt to keep the harems separated by space ; they are often so close 

 as to be absolutely indistinguishable to the observer (Plate III, figs. 3, 4), but the bulls 

 have always certain knowledge of the limits of their own territory and violently resist 

 any offer of encroachment. Besides the neighbouring harem bulls the idle bulls which 

 haunt the edges of the rookeries are a source of constant irritation to the harem bulls, 

 who expend a good deal of energy in driving off these possible rivals : fights take place 

 among the idle bulls also, but are not of any importance nor do they last long. 



The harem bulls keep their stations with the utmost pertinacity ; even if an exception- 

 ally high tide drives cows and pups up the beach, the bulls may be seen partly submerged 

 and even lifting with each wave, as they sit patiently at their posts waiting for the ebb. 



