

120 CARNIVORES. 



singling out their own offspring by its cries without a moment's hesitation. The 

 cubs are accustomed at an early period to collect in large numbers, while from the 

 latter part of September to the time of departure in November, they assemble 

 together in tens of thousands. Even among such numbers, the female instantly 

 recognises the voice of her own offspring, and promptly makes her way by thrust- 

 ing right and left to that spot in the assembly where it may happen to be. It is 

 said that the cubs themselves do not know their own mothers, but as they inces- 

 santly utter their cry at short intervals, the females have no difficulty when return- 

 ing from the sea in finding their offspring. 



Between the end of July and the close of the first week in August, the seal 

 colonies have entirely altered in appearance, owing to the breaking up of the 

 various family parties. The old males leave their stations, and betake themselves 

 to the sea, in a very emaciated condition ; the majority of them not returning to 

 the land. Such, however, as do make a second visit are in fine condition, and have 

 grown a new and brilliant coat of fur. The return visit does not take place till 

 the end of September; and the males then prefer to congregate on the beach, 

 instead of going up to their old ground. After the departure of the old males in 

 the beginning of August, the females, cubs, and those males which did not succeed 

 in obtaining wives, take possession of the entire seal area in a very disorderly 

 manner ; while their numbers are augmented by the landing of a host of young 

 males which had hitherto been prevented by their elder brethren from obtaining a 

 footing on shore. At this time three-fourths of the females are generally in the 

 water, only coining ashore for short intervals to look after their cubs. They lie 

 idly in the waves, now and again lazily rolling over, and continually scratching 

 their sides and backs with their flippers. After the first week in August the cubs 

 nearest the shore make their first attempts at swimming, but are extremely 

 awkward, and quickly tire with their efforts. Soon, however, they become adepts 

 in the art, and may then be seen sporting and frolicking in the water with the 

 greatest apparent enjoyment. By the middle of September all the cubs have 

 become thoroughly familiar with the water, and have entirely deserted the higher 

 grounds to take up a position on the rocks and beaches near the water's edge, 

 previously unoccupied by any of the seals. Finally, in November the islands are 

 deserted by the great mass of the sea-bears, although some do not leave for their 

 southerly migration until driven off by the snow and ice, as late as the end of 

 December or the 12th of January. 



The preceding observations relate almost exclusively to the old males, the 

 females, and the cubs ; but a few words are necessary as to the young males under 

 six years of age, which are known to the sealers as " bachelors." In the early part 

 of the season these come out of the sea in detachments of from a hundred to a 

 thousand strong, but later on by hundreds of thousands. They generally go to a 

 distance of from a quarter to half a mile from the shore, on what are technically 

 known as the " hauling-grounds," in contradistinction to the " rookeries." These 

 seals are in some cases allowed to pass up and down to their haunts by passages 

 left between the family parties on the rookeries ; but more generally repair to the 

 beaches unoccupied by the rookeries, where they will occupy the whole space from 

 the shore to a distance of a quarter of a mile or more inland. Some of the younger 



