and they are clever at understanding a trick and willing to perform 

 it. It is surely curious to see these ungainly beasts balancing colored 

 balls or lighted torches on their pointed snouts and rapidly tossing 

 them from one to another, seldom missing the catch. They are also 

 active in climbing the rocks and cliffs and their hind-flippers are so 

 far free as to allow them to walk after their own fashion. 



The coloring of the sea-lion is a chestnut brown, which varies 

 slightly with change of season or age, being darkest in summer and 

 on the younger lions. The head is distinguished by the prominent 

 curve of the crown and the well-defined slope above the eye, giving 

 the dog or lion-like profile, from which comes the name. The males 

 are much larger than the females, weighing from four to five hun- 

 dred pounds, and measuring seven feet or more in length, while the 

 female may be from one to two feet shorter and weighs less by one 

 or even two hundred pounds. 



The amount of food consumed is enormous. They have been 



240 



