88 Mr. R. Hamilton on the Fur Seal of Commerce. 



strength^ are not allowed to attend the pregnant females. 

 These young seals come on shore for the purpose of renewing 

 their annual coats ; which being done, by the end of April 

 they take the water, and scarcely any are seen on shore again 

 till the end of June, when some young seals come up and go 

 off alternately. They continue to do this for six or seven 

 weeks, and then retire to the water. The large male seals take 

 up their places on shore, as has been before described, which 

 completes the intercourse all classes have with the shore du- 

 ring the whole year. The young are at first black ; in a few 

 weeks they become grey, and soon after obtain their coat of 

 hair and fui*. Their sense of smell and hearing are acute ; 

 and in instinct they are little inferior to the dog ; that is, I 

 judge their sagacity in the water much exceeds that which 

 they exhibit on shore ; for though they are capable of remain- 

 ing a certain time on land, their natural element is the water. 

 I have estimated the female to be in general at its full growth 

 within four years ; but possibly the male is much longer, and 

 some which I have contrasted with others of the same size, 

 could not from their very old appearance be less than thirty 

 years. 



" When these South Shetland seals were first visited they 

 had no apprehension of danger from meeting men ; in fact 

 they would lie still while their neighbours were killed and 

 skinned ; but latterly they had acquired the habit of preparing 

 for danger by placing themselves on rocks, from w^hich they 

 could in a moment precipitate themselves into the water. The 

 agility of the creature is much greater than from its appear- 

 ance an observer would anticipate. I have seen them indeed 

 often escape from men running fast in pursuit to kill them. 

 The absurd story that seals in general defend themselves by 

 throwing stones at their pursuers with their tails may be ex- 

 plained in this way — that when an animal is chased on a stony 

 beach, their mode of propelling themselves is by drawing their 

 hind flippers forwards, thereby shortening the body and pro- 

 jecting themselves by the tail, which when relieved by the 

 effort of the fore flippers, throws up a quantity of stones to 

 the distance of some yards." 



And now to revert to the identification of the fur seal, we 



