228 CARNIVORA PINNIPEDIA. 



taken off the South Shetland Islands, in 1820 and 1821; 

 but the immense herds of Southern Sea Bears, at one time 

 numbering up into millions, have been gradually reduced 

 by overcatching, and the indiscriminate slaughter of the 

 females and the young, until today a few hundred skins 

 represent the entire catch of a year. Southern Sea Bears 

 breed in December and January. 



The Cape Horn, and Lobos Island, Fur Seals belong to 

 the same genus and are in fact the same animal in dif- 

 ferent localities of its habitat. Like all Sea Bears of the 

 Southern Hemisphere, these animals are longer and nar- 

 rower and have more depressed muzzles than their north- 

 ern cousins. The range of the species extends from the 

 Gulf of Tres Monte to the Straits of Magellan in the Atlan- 

 tic Ocean. They are most abundant on the Cordova Penin- 

 sula, and the Lobos Islands at the mouth of the LaPlata 

 River, the best representatives of the species coming from 

 the latter district. In color they are yellowish brown, 

 with sides of a darker hue. As compared with the North- 

 ern species the fur of these Seals is longer and of poorer 

 quality ; but the skins are easy to work and take the dye 

 well. They are used quite extensively for repair work, over- 

 coat linings, and other purposes for which moderate- 

 priced skins are demanded. The Lobos Island breeding 

 grounds are under the protection of the government of 

 Uruguay. 



Other species of Southern Sea Bears are the "South 

 Sea Seals" (Otaria-gazella) of the Crozet and Kerguelan 

 Islands; the "San Louis Seal," of the same genus, fre- 

 quenting Marion, Prince Edward and St. Paul Islands; 

 the Lima Fur Seal ; and the New Zealand and Australian 

 Fur Seal (Arctocephalus-fostereri) ; but the first three 

 species have been virtually exterminated; and the others 

 are too poor in quality to be worthy of consideration. 



Alaska Seal is a name which strictly speaking should 

 only be applied to the skins of the bachelor Sea Bears 

 taken on the Pribolov Islands in the Bering Sea; but 

 many dealers do not hesitate to sell the skins of the Cop- 

 per Island and other Northern Sea Bears of the same 

 genus, as "Alaskas"; and some even go so far as to in- 

 clude the skins of all Fur Seals under this name. The 



