REPORT OF BRITISH COMMISSIONERS. 265 



"The islands of the Southern Seas, now lying Larren and waste, arc not only 

 nnmerous, but aduiirahly suited for the production and management of these valu- 

 able animals, and need only the simple Regulations enforced by the American Legis- 

 lature to resuscitate the present state of decay of a once remunerative trade, and to 

 bring into full vigour another important export to the many we already possess. 



"A detailed account of the habits of the fur-seal of the Auckland Islands has 

 recently been given by Mr. Musgrave" (narrative of the wreck of the "Grafton," 

 Melbourne, 1865) "which he acquired during a compulsory residence in their midst 

 of nearly twenty months. Of the females, he relates that 'theirnose resembles that 

 of a dog, but is somewhat broader; their scent appears to be very acute. The eyes 

 are large, of a green colour, watery, and lustreless. When on shore they appear to be 

 constantly weeping. 



" 'In the latter part of December, and during the whole of January, they 

 192 are on shore a great deal, and go wandering separately through the bush, and 

 into the long grass on the sides of the mountains above the bush, constantly 

 bellowing out in the most dismal manner. They are undoubtedly looking out for a 

 place suitable for calving in. I have known them go to a distance of more than a nule 

 trom the water for this purpose. 



" ' Females begin to breed when 2 years old, and carry their calves eleven months, 

 and suckle them for about three months. 



" ' Before they have their calves the cows lie sometimes in small mobs (from twelve 

 to twenty), as well as while giving suck, and there are generally one or two bulls in 

 each mob. The cows are evidently by far the most mumerous.' 



" Of the habits of the very young, he says : 



"'It might be sup])osed that these animals, even when young, would readily go 

 into the water — that being one of their natural instincts — but, strange to say, such 

 is not the case; it is only with the greatest difficulty, and a wonderful display of 

 patience, that the mother succeeds in getting her young in for the first time. I have 

 known a cow to he three days getting her calf down half-a-mile, and into the water; 

 and, what is most surprising of all, it cannot swim when it is in the water. This is 

 a most amusing fact. The mother gets it on her back, and swims along very gently 

 on the top of the water, but the poor little thing is bleating all the while, and con- 

 tinually falling from its slippery position, when it will .splutter about in the water 

 precisely like a little boy who gets beyond his depth and cannot swim. Then the 

 mother gets beneath it, and it again gets on her back. Thus they go on, the mother 

 frequently giving an angry bellow, the young one constantly bleating and crying, 

 frequently falling off, spluttering and getting on again, very often getting a slap 

 from the Hipper of the mother, and sometimes she gives it a very cruel bite. The 

 poor little animals are very often seen with their skins ])ier(ed and lacerated in the 

 most frightful manner. In this manner they go on until they have made their pas- 

 sage to whatever place she wishes to take her young one to.' 



" The males are described thus: 



'"One of a medium size will measure about 6 feet from nose to tail, and about 6 

 or 7 feet in circumference, and weigh about 5 cwt. They by far exceed these dimen- 

 sions. The fur and skin are superior to those of the female, being much thicker. On 

 the neck and shoulders he has a thicker, longer, and much coarser coat of fur, which 

 maybe almost termed bristles; it is from 3 to 4 inches loiig, and can be rutHed up 

 and made to stand erect at will, which is always done when they attack each other 

 on shore or are surprised, sitting as a dog would do, with their head erect, and look- 

 ing towards the object of their surprise, and in this attitufle they liave all the appear- 

 ance of a lion. They begin to come into the bays in the month of October and 

 remain until the latter end of February, each one selecting and taking up his own 

 particular beat in a great measure; but sometimes there are several about the same 

 place, in which case they fight most furiously, never coming in contact with each 

 other (either in or out of the water) without engaging in the most desperate combat, 

 tearing large pieces of skin and flesh from each other; their skins are always full of 

 wounds and scars, which, however, appear to heal very quickly, 



"'At this place we saw hundreds of seals; both the shores and the water were lit- 

 erally swarming with them, both the tiger and black seal, but in general the tiger 

 seals keep one side of the harbour, and the black seals, which are much the largest, 

 the other side, but in one instance we saw a black and a tiger seal fighting.' , . . 



"Mr. Morris, of Sydney, for many years a sealer by profession, in addition to the 

 information already quoted in p. 15, has kindly furnished me with the following 

 interesting particulars of the history of the southern fur-seal fishery and the habits 

 of the animal, which have the advantage of being derived from his own personal 

 experience. 



" From him I learned the following particulars: 



" ' The females in September come on shore to pup, and remain until about March. 

 The pups are born black, but soon change to grey or silvery grey. The herd then go 

 to sea for the remaining portion of the year, returning again in September with 

 regularity. 



