136 THE BULLS. 



as " clap-matches." This equality of numbers of the sexes on the rook- 

 eries is unnatural, as the seals are polygamous. The cause <f the 

 great falling off in the number of "clap-matches" is we used to kill a 

 dozen females to one male, and so not only the males are in excess but 

 the species has been destroyed by killing the producers. 



Each " wig" gets about him as many "clap-matches" as he can. the 



average number, I should say, being from ten to 



Geo. coma; p. 598. twenty. The "wig" never allows the "clap- 



match" to leave lus harem tor some time, always 



seizing her and dragging her back if she attempts to go into the water. 



When the male reaches the age of 7 or 8 years he seeks the rooker- 

 ies, and is then able to maintain his position 

 Saml. Falconcr,p. 166. against his fellows. He has come earlier than 

 formerly to the islands, having arrived in May, 

 and after a little investigation has landed upon the breeding grounds, 

 giving battle to all who endeavor to usurp his place. I have seen 

 twenty cows or more about a bull, but of course the exact number in 

 a harem is a matter of conjecture, as many cows are absent in the 

 water at all times after the season has fairly commenced. 



A male seal is over 5 years of age before he is able to maintain him- 

 self on the breeding rookeries against the attacks 

 Louis Kimmel, p. 173. of his fellows. 



The seals are polygamous in their habits as to breeding, and each full- 

 grown and vigorous male animal endeavors to 



E. TV. Mci»ii/re,p. 135. gather around himself the largest possible number 

 of females, and to appropriate and hold by force 

 the space necessary for them and their young. Accordingly, when the 

 males return to the islands, beginning in May of each year (in favora- 

 able seasons some may be seen in April), the most desirable locations 

 on the breeding grounds are appropriated by the strongest and most 

 vigorous males, while the weaker or half-grown, or young, are forced 

 to take places more remote from well-defined centers of population. 



in June the females driven by the nearapproach of maternity arrive, 

 and on landing arc forced by the nearest male to remain near himself 

 as long as possible, but as the space he can hold is limited and soon 

 filled, his neighbors attempt to steal from his harem, which gives rise 

 to tierce contests, in which, not infrequently, the female is the victim 

 and is maimed or killed, and the young (pups), perhaps just born, are 

 trampled and crushed; hence it is evident that a superabundance of 

 males on the breeding grounds is not desirable, and it is also evident 

 that an intelligent and carefully applied system of killing males only 

 must result favorably to seal life, by preventing overcrowding, and 

 thus removing the cause of a constant warfare which could not fail of 

 being fatal to vast numbers of females and young of both sexes. 



After the fifth or sixth migration the male seal, now called a bull, 



returns to the islands about the first of May and 



T. F. Morgan, p. 63. hauls up on the breeding rookeries, provided he 



is able to maintain himself there, which takes 



many bloody conflicts. There he gathers about him as many females 



as he is able. 



