IN GREEN ALASKA 



more females, each presided over by a male or bull 

 seal, whose position was usually upon a kind of 

 throne or higher boulder in the midst of his wives. 

 Every few minutes this male, which was much larger 

 and darker in color than the females, would lift him- 

 self up and glance around over his circle as if count- 

 ing his flock, then snarl at some rival a few yards 

 away, or turn and threaten us. We gazed upon 

 them and trained our cameras at leisure. Often a 

 young male, wifeless and crowded back by older 

 bulls, threatened us near the edge of the grass with 

 continued demonstrations of anger. These un- 

 mated males were in bad humor anyway, and our 

 appearance seemed to furnish them a good excuse 

 to give vent to their feelings. In this market the 

 females belong to the strong. We saw several for- 

 lorn old males hovering around, who had played the 

 game and lost. They looked like bankrupt gamblers 

 at a watering-place. 



The females are much smaller and lighter in color 

 than their lords and masters. They lay very quietly 

 among the rocks, now and then casting uneasy 

 glances at us. Their heads are small and their jaws 

 slender; their growls and threats are not very terri- 

 fying. 



Lying there in masses or wriggling about upon 

 the rocks, all their lines soft and flowing, all their 

 motions hampered, the fur seals suggest huge larva?, 

 or sometliing between the grub and tlie mature 



105 



