SEALS AND SEA-LIONS. 171 



the creatures are easily seen, while their cries are 

 heard continually. 



In the picture you notice one fat fellow half-way 

 out of the water. His eye is bright and his mouth 

 is open. He is the one that is saying Ou! ou! ou! 

 The others hear him, but they are not disturbed, 

 though some of them will probably answer him 

 back with interest. 



See the huge creature that has just worked his 

 way out of the water. He is so big and fat that he 

 looks like an enormous sack of meal, wrinkles and 

 all. Higher up the rocks are many others, some 

 lazily sleeping, while others are weaving about in 

 an uneasy manner. Soon they will begin to slip 

 down the rocks and plunge into the sea. 



The principal food of the sea-lion is fish. He 

 is a very expert fisher, and it is to be feared that 

 he sometimes kills more fish than he cares to eat. 

 Many of the sea-lions along the coast have been 

 shot during the last few years, because they are 

 believed to impair the fishing for the men who go 

 out in boats. 



There are several different animals that are com- 

 monly known as seals. The great sea-lion is one 

 of these; the fur-seal of the north, sometimes 

 known as the sea-bear, is another; while the true 

 hair-seal, that swims along our coast, is a third. 



