374 



DISCOVERY REPORTS 



Argentine occupation of Scotia Bay it seems to have been an infrequent visitor/ except 

 apparently during the extraordinarily ice-free year of 1908, when according to 

 Mossman^ elephant seals were observed in March, October and November. 



The congregating of elephant seal on the South Orkneys in modern times was 

 apparently first noted in the report on the whaling season 1914-15. In that report^ 

 it was stated that in Borge Bay, Signy Island, large numbers of elephant seal came 

 ashore to sleep. Moreover, although the number was not stated it was evidently con- 

 siderable, since the writer was of the opinion that " one season's thinning of the males 

 would not apparently be hurtful to the existence of this animal". 



In January 1933 the number of elephant seal hauled out on the South Orkneys was 

 estimated to be about 296, of which all except seventy-four were found on Signy Island. 

 The occurrence of such relatively large numbers on that island is hardly surprising, for 

 as already suggested it is by far the most likely part of the group on which the seal might 

 be expected to congregate. Not only are suitable beaches, with low ground behind them, 

 common around its coast, particularly in Borge Bay, but the sheltered situation of 

 the island as a whole may be thought to add considerably to its attraction for elephant 

 seal. At the time of our visit groups of seal totalling upwards of 100 individuals were 

 scattered around the shores of Borge Bay. There is evidence, however, that greater 

 numbers may visit this locality. On the flat land to the west of the whaling station just 

 behind the shore there are a number of elephant wallows, and the whole appearance of 

 the ground there suggests that it has been occupied within recent years by a rookery or 

 rookeries of considerable size. Of all the available sites in the South Orkneys Borge 

 Bay would appear to be that most frequented by elephant seal. 



The distribution of elephant seal on the South Orkneys in January 1933 is shown 

 below. All the figures are approximate. 



A rough analysis of the age and sex composition of the seal was made at Borge Bay, 

 EUefsen Harbour and Sandefjord Bay. Of a total of 174 approximately seventy- 

 one were adult bulls, none exceptionally large, and fifteen were adult cows. Of the 

 remaining eighty-eight, which were immature bulls and cows, the great majority ap- 

 peared to be yearlings. The adults of both sexes were observed to be in moult. In Paal 



^ See Passera, Gino de, 1932, loc. cit., p. 357. 



2 Mossman, R. C, 1909, loc. cit., p. 409. 



3 See Report of the Interdepartmental Committee on Research and Development in the Dependencies of the 

 Falkland Islands, Appendix xiv, p. no. 



