DESCRIPTION OF THE ISLANDS 377 



were hauled out singly or in groups of from two to four, and were scattered along the 

 coasts on rocky ledges from Wilton Bay westwards to the Inaccessibles. The numbers 

 observed and the various localities at which they were seen are shown above. All the 

 figures are approximate. 



The total, 370, probably falls short of the actual number that were then hauled out, 

 since some no doubt were scattered around the coast of Laurie Island which was not 

 examined as closely as that of other parts of the group. 



The Weddell seal breeds at the South Orkneys and is probably the most numerous of 

 all the species that frequent the group. Although only a moderate number were seen in 

 January 1933 more may visit the group at other times of the year, especially it is thought 

 in early spring, when according to Rudmose Brown^ female seal arrive in large numbers 

 at the south-western end of Laurie Island and congregate in rookeries on the fast-ice 

 near the land in order to give birth to their young. The arrival of the seal takes place 

 during the last days of August and in early September. By the end of September all the 

 pups are born and by the middle of October most have left their mothers. Then the male 

 seals begin to arrive. Throughout the summer of 1903-4 the Weddell seal was a frequent 

 visitor to Scotia Bay, often as many as a hundred being seen on a small raised beach on 

 the western side of the bay where they had hauled out to sleep after a heavy meal.- 

 In January most of them were changing their coats and this probably accounts for the 

 big rookery that was seen in Falkland Harbour during the recent visit of the ' Discovery 

 II '. By April, when the ice begins to become tightly packed around the coasts, the seal 

 have practically deserted the group. They do not wholly disappear, however, for through- 

 out autumn and winter one or two, principally males, are generally seen every month, 

 especially on fine days, when the seal emerge from holes in the floe to lie and bask in 

 the sun.^ Of all the seals the Weddell is the most frequent winter visitor to the South 

 Orkneys . 



Most of the seal seen in January 1933 were adults or yearlings, but mainly the former. 

 Both sexes were represented. There were very few pups: two were seen in Wilton Bay 

 and six on the main island of the Inaccessible group. 



Leopard Seal {Hydrurga leptonyx, Blain.) 



In spite of its solitary and wandering mode of life the leopard seal is by no means 

 uncommon at the South Orkneys ; indeed during the summer months in particular it 

 may even be said to be abundant. Larsen, in November 1892, seems to be the first to 

 record its presence on the group, unless the "leopards" which Dallmann vaguely 

 mentions in 1874 can be accepted as referring to this species. Next to the Weddell seal 

 the leopard was the species most frequently seen in Scotia Bay throughout the summer 

 of 1903-4.* In the season 1914-15 seal, said to have killed enormous numbers of 

 penguins, were very numerous in the neighbourhood of Signy Island.^ These were 



1 The Voyage of the 'Scotia', pp. 129-31. ^ Ibid., p. 227. 



3 



Ibid., pp. 92, 122, 329, 331, 334, 336. 4 Itid., p. 227. 



5 See Report of the Interdepartmental Committee on Research and Development, p. no. 



