DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS 375 



Harbour and on the north coast of Signy Island the seal (no in all) were not examined 

 so closely. At least half, however, were adults, of which the majority appeared to be 

 bulls. 



The preponderance of adult bulls and yearlings and the scarcity of adult females is 

 noteworthy. 



It was not definitely ascertained if the elephant seal breed on the South Orkneys. 

 Although no obvious pups were seen at the time of our visit, the smaller of the im- 

 mature animals may, it is thought, have been pups born very early (in late August) 

 during the current season, 1932-3. Here again, however, we are confronted with the 

 problem of the pack-ice ; for unless the pregnant females can travel many miles over a 

 frozen sea it is difhcult to see how the elephant seal can normally breed on these islands. 

 At South Georgia, according to Matthews ,1 the annual haul out takes place from the 

 middle of August until the first week in September, the pups being born from the last 

 week in August to the end of September. If we assume that the seal breed at the same 

 time on the South Orkneys we must also suppose that they haul out over the pack-ice 

 which in August and September may extend for fifty and even 100 miles to the north of 

 the group. It is difficult to believe that they could normally accomplish such a long 

 and arduous journey, and we are therefore forced to the conclusion that little if any 

 breeding can take place on the South Orkneys. The possibility that they may breed 

 late or out of season must be disregarded, since otherwise we should have seen unmis- 

 takable pups in January 1933. If, as seems likely, little or no breeding takes place 

 it is probable that elephant seal visit the South Orkneys almost exclusively during the 

 short ice-free period, and then very largely in order to sleep or for the purpose of shed- 

 ding their coats. The presence of elephant seal on Laurie Island (which as we have seen 

 is but rarely frequented by the species) in March, October and November during the 

 extraordinarily ice-free year of 1908 suggests that in " open " years the seal may visit the 

 group in larger numbers than usual. 



The scarcity of the elephant seal on the South Orkneys, evident both to-day and in 

 the past, like that of the fur seal is probably associated with the ice conditions which 

 seem to render the group unsuitable as a breeding ground. 



Since the South Shetlands themselves are blocked by ice during August and Sep- 

 tember the question arises as to the actual breeding time of the great herds of elephant 

 seal which once frequented that group; for presumably they did not visit it in 

 such vast numbers merely for the purpose of moulting. Weddell's statement,'^ that 

 "the males come on shore about the end of August and beginning of September; and 

 in this month, and the first part of October, they are followed by the females, which, 

 being with young since the preceding season, choose the land at this time for the purpose 

 of parturition and procreation", is in my opinion unsubstantiated by any evidence. 

 Certainly Weddell himself was never at the South Shetlands in August or September. 

 In 1823 he tried to get there in late October* but was blocked by heavy pack about forty 



1 Matthews, L. H., 1929, The Natural History of the Elephant Seal, Discovery Reports, i, p. 236. 



2 Weddell, J., 1825, loc. cit., p. 135. ^ Ibid., p. 116. 



