SYNOPSIS OF riNNIPEDS. Oil 



they jealously guard liojii their rivals, and over which for many weeks 

 they exercise tyrannical Jurisdiction. The young eared-seals pass the 

 tirst six: or eight weeks of their lives wluJly on tlie land, and at tirst 

 enter the water reluctantly, being taught to swim by their ntothers. 

 A very young seal if placed in the A^ ater and left to itself will quickly 

 drown. 



The eared-seals fall into two groups, one of which includes the sea- 

 lions and the other the fur-seals, or "sea bears'^ of 

 the early writers. In the sea-lions the pelage is harsh setis.^'"''" anciFui- 

 and without under fur, and lluir skins possess small 

 commercial value, being useful only for the preparation of a. poor quality 

 of leather. They are, however, very fat, and conse([uently immense 

 numbers have been killed for tlieir oil. Theii' x>i'oducts are thus simi- 

 lai" to those of the seals proper. 



The fur-seals have a very soft pelage, with abuiulant under fur, 

 forming the well-known seal fur of commerce. These 

 animals have been incessantly hunted for their skins ingofKu"Sl'"'"^ 

 for a century. So indiscriminate and relentless has 

 been the slaughter that, with the exception of a few small rookeries 

 which have received governmental protection, the fur seals of the 

 southern hemisphere have been for many years practically extermi- 

 nated. (See part II of this paper entitled " Fur seal Iluntnig in the 

 Southern Hemisphere" post.) 



Authorities differ greatly as to the number of species of eared-seals, 

 owing to the scarcity of specimens in natural history 

 nmseums. Although so many millions have been killed gefjr''''* "^ ^'"'''^ 

 for commercial purposes, there is not a good series of 

 specimens of these animals in any scientific museum. Tlie following- 

 list of genera and species is probably sufticieutly accurate for use in the 

 liresent connection. Conmiercially they are all fur-seals, altlumgh the 

 size of the animal and the quality of the fur varies more or less at dif- 

 ferent localities. 



Section 1.— EARED HAIR-SEALS OR SEA-LIONS (Tricho- 



phocacae). 



I.— Genus OTARIA Peron. 



1. SouTUEEN Sea-Lion Otaria jahaia (Forst). 



Rahitat: Galapagos Islands and coasts of South America, fiomPeru 

 and the Rio de la Plata southward; Tierra del Fuego and Falkland 

 Islands, etc. 



Formerly abundant and extensively hunted for its oil. Now so re- 

 duced in numbers as to be of little commercial importance. 



II.— Genus PHOCARCTOS Peters. 



2. Auckland Sea-Lion Phocarcios liookeri (Gray). 



Hahitat : Auckland Islands. 



Little is known of this rare species, which was proba.l)ly once com- 

 mon at the islands to the eastward and southward of I^ew Zealand. 



