199 



LIMA FUE SEAL. 



The Lima Fur Seal produces the lowest quality fur of 

 all the OtariidfB, and hardly any skins have been im- 

 j)orted of late years. Li 1886, after a lapse of several 

 years, 993 skins were imported, the price realized being 

 3s. 6d. to 13s. 



The hair is abundant and bristly, and in the adult 

 animals is almost entirely black. The under fur is red 

 and very scarce. The crest of the large bulls or "wigs" 

 is light brown, and sometimes almost white. The 

 females are very dark brown, almost black, like the 

 small ones. 



The range of this Seal is rather considerable, includ- 

 ing the islands near Callao and other parts of Peru ; 

 probably also the Galapagos Islands. Some were killed 

 by Alexander Selkirk during his sojourn in Juan Fer- 

 nandez. According to Murray, he killed them from 

 behind with a hatchet, escaping from their bites by his 

 greater agility in turning. In 1798, a New York skipper 

 is said to have filled his vessels with pelts obtained in 

 the island of Masafuera, nine miles from Juan Fernan- 

 dez, and to have taken them to Canton. 



