130 ALASKA. 



sion of tlie most cliaracteristic sound and action, peculiar, so far 

 as I liave observed, to the I'ur-seals, the bulls in particular. It 

 is the usual prelude to their couibats, and follows souiewliat in 

 this way: when the two disputants are nearly within reaching 

 or striking" distance, they make a number of feints or false 

 passes at one another, with the mouth wide open and lifting 

 the lips or snarling, so as to exhibit the glistening teeth, and 

 with each pass they expel the air so violently through the 

 larynx as to make a rapid choo-choo-choo sound, like the steam- 

 puffs in the smoke-stack of a locomotive when it starts a heavy 

 train, and especially when the driving-wheels slip on the rail. 



All the bulls now have the power and frequent inclination to 

 utter four entirely distinct calls or notes — a hoarse, resonant 

 roar, loud and long; alow gurgling growl; a chuckling, sibi- 

 lant, piping whistle, of which it is impossible to convey an ad- 

 equate idea, for it must be heard to be understood; and this 

 spitting, just described. The cows* have but one uote — a hol- 

 low, iirolonged, hlaa-ting call, addressed only to their pui)s; 

 on all other occasions they are usually silent. It is something 

 like the cry of a calf or sheep. They also make a spitting- 

 sound, and snort, when suddenly disturbed. The pups '■'■bla-af^ 

 also, with little or no variation, the sound being somewhat 

 weaker and hoarser than that of their mothers for the first two 

 or three weeks after birth ; they, too, spit and cough when 

 aroused suddenly from a nap or driven into a corner. A. num- 

 ber of pups crying at a short distance off bring to mind very 

 strongly the idea of a flock of sheep '' baaaa-in(}." 



Indeed, so similar is the sound that a number of sheep 

 brought up from San Francisco to Saint George's Island during 

 the summer of 1873 were constantly attracted to the rookeries, 



*Without explanation 1 may be considered as lualiin^ use of misapplied 

 terms iu describiu<i; these animals, for the inconsistency of couplin<r "pups" 

 with " cows" and " bulls," and " rookeries" with the breediug-gronnds of the 

 same, cannot fail to be noticed ; but this nomenclatui-e has been given and 

 used by the Eaglisb and American whalemen and sealing-parties for many 

 years, and the cliaracteristic features of the seals suit the odd naming ex- 

 actly, so much so that I have felt satisfied to retaiu the style throughout as 

 rendering my description more intelligible, especially so to those who are en- 

 gaged in the business or may be hereafter. The Russians are more ccns-ist- 

 ent, but not so "pat." The bull is called "see-catch," a term implying 

 strength, vigor, «fcc.; the cow, " niatkah," or mother ; the pups, '"kotickie," 

 or little seals; the non-breeding males, under six and seven years, " hollus- 

 chickie," or bachelors. The name applied collectively to the fur-seal by 

 them is " morskic-kot," or sea-cat. 



