NEW YORK ZOOLOGICAL PARK. 61 



active, and in one way or another diving, swimming, climb- 

 ing or hopping about are nearly always "showing off." 

 No one within a quarter of a mile of their pool need inquire 

 where they are, for their loud and cheerful "Hook! hook! 

 hook!" is heard far and wide, and draws visitors like a 

 magnet. 



The Sea-Lion Pool is situated about in the center of Baird 

 Court. 



The California Sea-Lion, or "Barking Sea-Lion," (Zalo- 

 phus calif ornianus), is the species most easily caught alive, 

 and the one usually seen in captivity. Its home is the coast 

 of California, but it is said to enter the Sacramento River 

 and travel upward for a considerable distance in pursuit of 

 spawning salmon. Comparatively few Sea-Lions are now 

 found on the mainland coast of California, and but for the 

 fact that on the United States Light-House reservations 

 their slaughter is prohibited by the Light-House Board, the 

 people of California would now be waging a systematic war 

 on the species, which soon would exterminate it. 



The specimens exhibited in the Zoological Park were cap- 

 tured for the Society near Santa Barbara. Their captors 

 provided themselves with lassos, crept along the rocky cav- 

 erns which served the creatures as sleeping-dens, lassoed 

 them, and drew them forth. During the long journey 

 across the continent they travelled in crates, were fed on 

 raw fish, and twice a day were drenched with water. Inas- 

 much as these are warm-blooded animals, provided with 

 lungs, not gills, they live and thrive in fresh water. Owing 

 to lack of room, this species has never yet been known to 

 breed in captivity, although many "pups" have been born 

 in zoological gardens to newly caught mothers. 



The California Sea-Lion is very similar in size, and, leaving 

 the old males out of consideration, it is almost the exact 

 counterpart in form of that apple of perpetual international 

 discord the Alaskan "fur seal." The unfortunate fact that 

 the latter animal has become known as a "seal," has caused 

 much confusion in people's minds regarding the classifica- 

 tion of pinnipeds (fin-footed animals) generally. For this 

 reason, it is proper to observe at this point that : 



1. Sea-Lions have flat, triangular, naked front flippers, 

 without claws; they have long necks, and carry their heads 

 high. There are nine species, of which the so-called "fur 

 seal" is one. 



2. Seals always have short and stubby front flippers, 

 which are covered with hair, and provided with nails. In 



