90 PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM [1885 



AN ACCOUNT OF RECENT CAPTURES OF THE CALIFORNIA SEA- 

 ELEPHANT, AND STATISTICS RELATING TO THE PRESENT 

 ABUNDANCE OF THE SPECIES. 



By CHARLiES H. TOWNSEIV©. 



On October 14, 1884, I sailed from the port of San Diego, California, 

 in the schooner Laura, of San Francisco, Captain Morrison, bound on a 

 cruise in search of specimens of the sea-elephant {Macrorhinus angusti- 

 rostris) for the Smithsonian Institution. 



Previous to leaving San Francisco I had made special arrangements 

 with the owners of the vessel there for the trip, which was undertaken 

 under the direction of Professor Baird. 



During a cruise of two months along the peninsula of Lower Califor- 

 nia, from San Diego to Magdalena Bay, 600 miles south of the United 

 States and Mexican boundary, we explored carefully the intermediate 

 coastline and all the outlying islands, including Guadalupe, 160 miles 

 off the coast, in about latitude 28° 45'. 



As predicted by the captain of the Laura, the desired animals were 

 found only at one place. This was a point on the mainland, 50 miles 

 south of Cerros Island, and known to seal hunters as " Elephant Beach." 

 The locality is indicated on the charts as San Cristobal Bay, 



At this isolated and desolate place, on October 20, we discovered three 

 young sea elephants sleeping on the sandy beach. As this locality had 

 long been known to seal hunters as a favorite resort of the species, and is 

 now known as the only remaining breeding rookery, the captain coun- 

 seled that these three should for the present remain undisturbed, thinking 

 that their presence on the rookery might induce larger animals to haul 

 out there later in the season when we should return. After observing 

 their actions on the beach and, in the water for some time, we proceeded 

 on our search farther south, leaving three of the men to camp near by 

 and take possession of all animals that might appear in the mean time. 

 Eeturning to this place a month later (November 18), we found but one 

 of the three sea-elephants we had left there remaining, a female, which 

 we killed. Three had been seen by the men on one occasion, but were 

 probably the same ones we had left there. 



Although we remained at San Cristobal Bay a week longer, no more 

 animals appeared, and, after arranging with the captain to visit the 

 place late in December and make a last attempt to procure the desired 

 specimens for me, we sailed for San Diego, where I took the steamer 

 for San Francisco. 



While cruising about in search of sea-elephants we killed numbers of 

 the black sea-lion {Zalophus calif ornianus), and in preparing the skins 

 and skeletons of these I had the help of the crew, and took special pains 

 to instruct them in the preservation of such specimens. 



