1899] THE HABITS OF THE NORTHERN FUR SEAL 35 
the mass of seals already on shore, but whenever a new-comer approached 
the edge of a rookery she was received with such a series of snaps 
that in one case at least I saw a female go right round the mass two 
or three times before she could get in. When such a seal has at last 
got into the rookery her progress to a resting-place is one constant 
series of fights, as she scrambles over the backs of her sleeping sisters, 
and finds her course disputed by each one in her way. 
At this early part of the season the number of cows on shore did 
not seem to be appreciably affected by the weather, and I do not 
believe they will under any circumstances leave their newly-born pups. 
So too at Kishotchnaya from the 29th June to the 3rd of July the 
cows were constantly arriving in large numbers, yet during that time 
there was never any great number of them in the sea, only about 
enough, in fact, to account for the newly-arrived females. I do not 
wish to say that the cows never left their pups, but I am certain that 
very few did so, and the number going to sea was always very much less 
than that of those coming from the water. At this time they have 
little or no fear even of a man, and can be approached and photographed 
at any near range. Those cows who pup late in the season stick 
equally close to their pups, and I found a young cow at Palata on the 
9th August who stood up to me as boldly as a bull, and allowed me 
to photograph her and her pup at a distance of only a few feet. 
Exactly how long the cows stay thus on shore after they have 
pupped it is in the present state of our knowledge impossible to say, 
but a small amount of light is thrown upon the question by the move- 
ments of one of the South rookery cows, whose back was marked with 
flesh-coloured spots in such a manner that she was always easily 
recognisable. This cow hardly moved her position during the three 
days of my first visit to the rookery :— 
24th June, morning . First seen. 
24th ,, 6PM. Asleep with pup in same place. 
25th ,, morning . Asleep a yard or two from former 
position. 
20th ,, 6 P.M. Asleep with pup in same place. 
26th ,, morning . Still asleep in much the same place. 
24th July eee > Not noted. 
25th , 3to 4.15 PM. Asleep near same position. 
26th” ,; ee ar : Not noted. 
27th ,, morning . . Asleep near old position. 
27th ,, about 3.30 P.M. Went away with some stampeded seals. 
28th ,, morning . Absent. 
28th ,, 6.15 P.M. Again ashore near old position. 
eee 5, =| 10.8 A.M, Asleep with other cows on rock to south 
of rookery. 
29th ,, 12.15 p.m. Asleep on small rock near rookery. 
29th ,, 3PM. Asleep on rookery near old place. 
meth, 5, 6 P.M. Ditto. 
30th ,, : Not seen. 
2nd August Ditto. 
