THE SEA BEAR. 153 



Sea Bears. The Northern Sea Bear is otherwise known 

 as the Northern Fur Seal. Captain Charles Bryant gives a 

 very interesting account of these singular animals, in which 

 he describes them as approaching and taking possession of 

 the shores of St. Paul's Island near the coast of Alaska, about 

 the middle, or towards the end of April, when the snow has 

 melted and the drift ice from the north has all passed. A 

 few old male seals first make their appearance and reconnoitre 

 for two or three days, afterwards climbing the slopes and 

 taking possession of the rookeries, each male reserving about a 

 square rod for himself and his wives. The scouts then 

 return and younger male seals soon begin to arrive in small 

 detachments, but are prevented from landing by their elders 

 and are so forced to remain in the water or go to the upland 

 above. By the middle of June all the males have arrived, 

 and having adjusted their differences and divided the rook- 

 eries between them, await the arrival of the females. " These 

 appear in small numbers at first but increase as the season 

 advances, till the middle of July ; when the rookeries are all 

 full, the females often overlapping each other. The bachelor 

 seals swim all day along the shore, escorting and driving the 

 females on to the rocks as fast as they arrive. As soon as 

 a female reaches the shore, the nearest male goes down to 

 meet her, making meanwhile a noise like the clucking of a 

 hen to her chickens. He bows to her, and coaxes her 

 until he gets between her and the water so that she cannot 

 escape him. Then his manner changes, and with a harsh 

 growl he drives her to a place in his harem. This continues 

 until the lower row of harems is nearly full. Then the males 

 higher up select the time when their more fortunate neigh- 

 bours are off their guard to steal their wives. This they do 

 by taking them in their mouths and lifting them over the 

 heads of the other females, and carefully placing them in 

 their own harem carrying them as carefully as cats do their 

 kittens. Those still higher up pursue the same method until 



