196 FLESH-EATERS OF THE SEA 



SEA LEOPAED (Ogmorhinus leptonyx). 

 Coloured Plate XII. Fig. 2. 



The Sea Leopard is a Southern Hair-Seal that is found 

 on some of the Australasian coasts ; on various islands, 

 such as the Falkland, Auckland, and Lord Howe's ; and 

 on the ice pack of the Antarctic Ocean. The Leopard 

 Seal is sometimes erroneously stated to be an entirely 

 different species in the North Pacific. 



Very little is known of the Sea Leopard, and as sealing 

 in the far South is practically a dead industry, it is difficult 

 to glean accurate facts concerning this cat-like looking 

 marine mammal. In only few museums are male and 

 female stuffed specimens, and occasionally isolated captures 

 have taken place in Australia and New Zealand. The male 

 Sea Leopard attains a length of at least twelve feet. Its 

 skin is a glossy silvery grey, with darker shadings merging 

 into patches of yellowish-white. 



SEA ELEPHANT (Macrorhinus proboscided). 

 Plate XVIII. 



The Sea Elephant, or Elephant Seal, is the largest of the 

 marine Mammalia, excepting only the larger whales, for 

 it grows to a length of twenty to thirty feet. Nevertheless, 

 it is just a big black Seal, with the skin of the nose pro- 

 longed to hang limply before the mouth for about 

 a foot, which the animal inflates when it is excited or 

 enraged. 



This unwieldy creature is common to both hemispheres, 

 but it has been hunted with such ardour that very few exist 

 north of the Equator. In the southern seas it forms 

 practically the only population on many a series of barren 

 rocks, although even there it was at one time hunted by 

 whalers until it was almost a rarity. Once it abounded 

 in immense numbers in the Antarctic Ocean, especially in 

 Kerguelen's Land and neighbouring islands. In the chase 

 of the Sea Elephant sealers ran terrible risks, endured 



