248 The Under-Water World 



they rely almost entirely upon fish for 

 sustenance, and this has been made an 

 excuse for much wanton persecution. 

 Most sea-lions will if hard pressed vary 

 their diet with an occasional sea bird or 

 egg when opportunity arises. A Zoo sea- 

 lion once engulfed a penguin whole. For 

 many years the sea-lions and the pen- 

 guins lived in harmony. One day, how- 

 ever, one of the sea-lions caught hold of 

 a whiting at one end of the body whilst 

 a penguin seized the fish at the other end. 

 In a moment of desperation the sea-lion 

 engulfed both the fish and the bird. The 

 meal was evidently to the sea-lion's liking, 

 for from that day he proceeded to attack 

 the remaining penguins, who had to be 

 removed and housed in a different part 

 of the gardens. Seals and sea-lions are 

 gregarious, shifting in vast herds some- 

 times numbering many thousands. The 

 sexes meet only in the breeding season 

 when the males engage in sanguinary 



