DOMESTIC LIFE 



but the appearance of one among them was the 

 signal for a stampede, but even this was invariably 

 gone through in an orderly manner with some show 

 of reason, for, porpoising off in a clump, they at 

 once spread themselves out, scattering in a fan- 

 shaped formation as they sped away, instead of 

 all following the same direction. 



As far as I could judge, however, the sea-leopards 

 are a trifle faster in the water than the Adelies, as 

 one of them occasionally would catch up with one 

 of the fugitives, who then, realizing that speed alone 

 would not avail him, started dodging from side to 

 side, and sometimes swam rapidly round and round 

 in a circle of about twelve feet diameter for a full 

 minute or more, doubtless knowing that he was 

 quicker in turning than his great heavy pursuer, but 

 exhaustion would overtake him in the end, and we 

 could see the head and jaws of the great sea-leopard 

 rise to the surface as he grabbed his victim. The 

 sight of a panic-stricken little Adelie tearing round 

 and round in this manner was a sadly common 

 sight late in the season. 



Sea-leopards are no mean customers and should 

 be treated with caution. Commander Campbell 

 and I used to hunt them from a little Norwegian 

 pram (a species of dinghy) which we rowed quietly 



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