TOO HUNTING THE SEA OTTER. 



The old bulls fight viciously amongst themselves, being 

 often covered with scars, but are very timid otherwise ; the 

 only danger is in getting between them and the water, when 

 nothing will stop them. 



Their habitat extends from California to Behring Straits ; 

 but the sea lion observed on the rocks outside San Francisco 

 Harbour is much smaller, differing in many respects from 

 the more northern species. 



The great rookeries are found on the two main islands of 

 the Pribylov group, St. Paul and St. George, where some 

 twenty thousand breed annually. About eighty years ago 

 their numbers were very great as many as two or three 

 hundred thousand; but, as such great numbers interfered with 

 the breeding of the more valuable fur seals, at the instiga- 

 tion of the Russians the natives hunted and worried them 

 off the land, with the result that the sea lions gave place to 

 the fur seals. 



The sea lion is invaluable to the Aleuts, and great store 

 is set by it. The skins, unhaired by sweating, sewn 

 together and stretched over a light framework form their 

 bidarkas and bidarrahs, hunting kayaks and travelling 

 boats; whilst almost every part is made use of for food, oil, 

 or raiment. Several hundred are captured every year by 

 " driving " in a similar manner to that employed with the 

 fur seal, only the operation is a much slower one on account 

 of their size and more cumbrous movements. North-East 

 Point on the island of St. Paul is a favourite place for 

 these drives, the lay of the land being exceptionally advan- 

 tageous. After September, when the seal rookeries have 

 broken up for the year, fifteen or twenty hunters take up 

 their residence adjacent to the Point. When a favourable 

 night occurs, with a moon partially obscured by drifting 

 clouds and a wind off the land, the hunters proceed to creep 

 along the shore and amongst the boulders until they have 

 gained a position between the sea and the sleeping herd. 

 At a given signal the men leap to their feet, yelling, shouting, 

 and firing off pistols, while the terrified sea lions flounder 



