The Sea-Lion's Den 297 



At Santa Catalina the largest rookery of sea-lions is 

 in the immediate vicinity of the best fishing ground, 

 many kinds of fishes abounding within a few hundred 

 feet of the place, and while the sea-lions are increasing 

 there is never any discernible decrease in the fish sup- 

 ply. The greatest cause of complaint against the sea- 

 lions comes from the net fishermen, who claim that they 

 visit the nets with great regularity and take out the fish. 



I observed this on several occasions. A sea-lion 

 stationed itself near a net in the kelp, and every few 

 minutes dived down and swam along the net, biting off 

 the body of any fish that became gilled. This was done 

 despite the fact that I was near the net in a boat, with 

 the Italian owner, who hurled imprecations at the sea- 

 lion when it came up from the net with a large rock 

 bass in its mouth and deliberately tossed it into the air, 

 as though to irritate the fisherman, who, while robbed in 

 the grossest manner, was prevented by law from shoot- 

 ing the animals. No more interesting feature of wild 

 life can be seen on the Pacific Coast than the sea-lion 

 rookeries, and the ease and comfort with which one 

 reaches them render the sport of bringing them down 

 with the camera very enjoyable. 



