1885.] PROCEEDINGS OF UNITED STATES NATIONAL MUSEUM. 91 



The last visit was made to the Elephant Beach December 31, and fif- 

 teen sea-elephants were killed and preserved in the best manner. There 

 being no indications of others, the Laura ijroceeded to San Francisco. 

 Of these fifteen animals only one was a male, which measured nearly 

 12 feet in length. The rest, with the exception of two pups, each about a 

 week old and over 4 feet long, were females, averaging 10 feet in length. 



Thirty or forty years ago the sea-elephant was found at many places 

 on the coast between Santa Barbara Islands and Cape St. Lucas, but 

 continual persecution has almost extermiuated the species. 



I conversed with a number of old men at San Diego and elsewhere, 

 who were in the seal-oil business in its palmiest days, and learned that 

 about the year 1860, the species became so scarce that their pursuit 

 could no longer be carried on with profit, and that from about 1865 to 

 nearly 1880 none of the animals were seen to the best of their knowl- 

 edge, except stragglers observed at Guadalupe and Benita Islands. 

 They were accordingly reported as extiuct. My informants thought 

 that, notwithstanding the fact ot the sea-elephant having been found 

 in limited numbers within the last few years, it was doomed to 

 speedy extinction. 1 took pains to ascertain how many animals had 

 been found by the different vessels that have searched for them since 

 their reappearance at their former haunts, and collected the informa- 

 tion which is given in the following record : 



1880. • Schooner San Diego killed thirty sea-elephants at the Ele- 

 phant Beach, at San Cristobal Bay, during the fall and winter. 



1882. Schooner San Mateo, of San Pedro, killed forty sea elephants 

 at Elephant Beach. Six live young ones were brought to San Francisco 

 by a certain Captain Smith. What disposition was made of them was not 

 ascertained. 



1883. Schooner , of San Francisco, Captain Lee, arriving at 



Elephant Beach October 9, found sixty sea-elephants. Of these the 

 majority were young bulls ; fourteen were bulls of large size, and there 

 was one young one three weeks old. Other animals hauled out there 

 later in the season, and the schooner left, December 23, loaded with the 

 oil of one hundred and ten sea-elephants over one year old. 



Schooner San Diego found four good-sized bulls at Guadalupe Island. 

 Date not ascertained. 



1884. Sloop Liberty, of San Diego, Captain Morrison, arrived at the 

 beach January 25, and killed thirty-three sea-elephants. Keturned in 

 March and killed sixty over one year old, leaving a few females and 

 young undisturbed. 



Schooner City of San Diego, of San Diego, arrived in May, and, finding 

 no large animals, killed the females and young animals spared by the 

 crew of the Liberty, forty in all. 



Schooner Laura, of San Francisco, Captain James Morrison, the 



writer being on board, arrived at San Cristobal Bay and saw three 



^yoiing sea-elephants, After unsuccessful searching else where, returned, 



