48 BULLETIN OF THE BUREAU OF FISHERIES 



way can he be said to fight for the acquisition of cows at the time when they are 

 arriving. Idle bulls are constantly to be seen wholly indifferent to the arrival of cows 

 in near-by harems. Bulls in possession of harems not uncommonly attempt to wel- 

 come new cows, but in such cases the cows are very apt to return to the sea in apparent 

 fright. In man}' cases, cows were obser\-ed to come quietly into a harem while its lord 

 and master was lying asleep and blissfully ignorant of any addition to his seraglio. 

 During the formation of the harems, the dominant instinct of every bull is not to dis- 

 possess his neighbor but to maintain his own position at all costs; and a relatively poor 

 place is valued as highly as the more favored ones. When the height of the season 

 arrives, with practically all cows accounted for and many of them in heat at the same 

 time, the procreative instinct becomes stronger and bulls which find themselves with- 

 out cows will then attempt to secure them wherever possible. It is evident that the 

 majority of the bulls return each season to the same or approximately the same position 

 as that occupied the previous year. In general, it is true also that the older bulls arrive 

 early. Thus it follows that the less advantageous positions are left for the younger 

 buUs. Such bulls about the rear and ends of the rookeries are constantly being menaced 

 by the harem bulls, whether actual fighting takes place or not, and this always causes 

 commotion. When an idle bull makes a move which is deliberately or apparently 

 threatening, the nearest harem bull starts toward him, perhaps from the other side of 

 his harem, and plows ruthlessly through passive cows and over struggling pups until 

 he is near enough to cause the idle bull to retire. In the majority of cases there is no 

 real conflict, but since neighboring harem bulls are apt to start up at the same time, 

 the general mel^e may result in two bulls coming into such close proximity that the 

 "bluffing" tactics are abandoned and real blows struck. Similar trouble ensues from 

 the approach of idle bulls and bachelors at the water's edge. The large number of 3 

 and 4 year old bachelors in 191 4 was the source of considerable disorder of this kind, 

 and it is evident that even a moderate breeding reserve of these classes of males would 

 be sufficient to haunt all the rookery fronts and rouse the antagonism of the harem bulls. 

 Time after time a harem bull will rush through his cows merely to roar and puff at a 

 young bachelor which has hauled partly out of the water and looked with apparent 

 curiosity in his direction. 



Even with fighting at a minimum, as at present, there is considerable unavoidable 

 commotion on the rookeries. A particularly fruitful source is the departure of the 

 cows to feed. When the first cows begin to go out, the harems are large, the cows closely 

 packed, and births and copulations in progress. The bulls seem to become greatly 

 exercised at the idea that a cow may get away without service and as soon as one makes 

 a move, whether from a real intent to go to sea or not, the bull hastily rushes over 

 any inten^ening cows and either quiets the restless one or in some way satisfies himself 

 that she has been served. Sometimes the bull will even interrupt the service of one 

 cow to restrain another which seems about to leave, and will do so likewise to threaten 

 an inquisitive young bachelor. Such actions while the pups are still young and while 

 births are underway doubtless cause some mortality of pups. One wonders that it 

 does not cause much more than is found upon investigation, but it is e\'ident from this 

 as well as from general observation that the pups are fitted to withstand an incredible 

 amount of rough treatment. Except at the time of birth and for a few hours there- 

 after they may be battered about, trampled, and pushed into crevices without serious 



