SEA-LION. 233 



keep their stomach distended. We were surprised to find the 

 stomachs of many of them entirely empty, and those of others 

 filled with ten or twelve round heavy stones, each the size of 

 two fists." 



Each of the great herds of these amphibia is composed of 

 an adult male, and a number of females and their young. 

 The number of females would appear to vary. Cook, in his 

 account, says " The male is surrounded by from twenty to 

 thirty females, and he is very attentive to keep them all to 

 himself, beating off every male who attempts to come into 

 his. flock. Others, again, had a less number, some no more 

 than one or two ; and here and there we have seen one 

 lying growling in a retired place alone, and suffering neither 

 males nor females to approach him. We judged that these 

 were old and superannuated." Forster reckons the number 

 of females at ten or twelve, and from fifteen to twenty young 

 ones of both sexes. They swim about all together at sea, 

 and also remain united when they repose on land. Accord- 

 ing to Forster, the sight or voice of man makes them flee, 

 and throw themselves into the water ; for, although they are 

 large and strong, they are .also timid ; and when a man at- 

 tacks them even with a good stick, they rarely defend them- 

 selves, but retreat precipitately. They never commence an 

 attack, or act on the offensive, so that a person may be in the 

 midst of them without any apprehension., 



The females never fight with each other, nor with the 

 males, and seem to live in entire dependence upon the chief 

 of the family ; but when two grown males, or rather two 

 heads of families, engage, all the females attend in their 

 train, to witness the contest ; and if the chief of another 

 troop interfere with the combatants, either on one side or the 

 other, his example is immediately followed by many other 

 chiefs, and then the combat becomes almost general, and 

 terminates only in a vast effusion of blood, and often even in 

 the death of many of the males, whose females are instantly 

 joined to the family of the victor. It has been remarked, 

 that the very aged males do not interfere in these struggles ; 



