ANNUAL MIGRATION OF THE FUR-SEAL HERD 125 



15, and by the end of November all the Seals are gone on their 

 great winter cruise southward into warmer waters. By a 

 long series of inquiries the winter cruise of the herd was first 

 mapped out by Henry W. Elliott, and is shown herewith. 



On the breeding-grounds, each large and hard-fighting old 

 male gathers round him a harem of from six to ten females, 



^i- 



ANNUAL WINTER MIGRATION OF THE FUR- 

 SEAL HERD. 



fights off all rivals, young or old, and elects himself the head 

 of an imposing family. In the days of the Fur-Seal millions, 

 the three-year-old male Seals — called "bachelors" — were 

 killed for their fur, to the number of about 100,000 each 

 year. The females bear only one "pup" annually, immedi- 

 ately after landing in May. 



The mother Seals leave their young, go to sea in search of 

 food, remain several days perhaps, or even a fortnight, then 

 return and go straight to their own respective offspring. It 

 was the killing of the mothers at sea that produced an enor- 



