Eared Hair Seals or Sea Lions. 225 



eeldom failing to make excursions to Seal Point, about six 

 miles from the eit3^ As each of these animals consumes 

 from ten to forty pounds of fish a day, it is a natural con- 

 sequence that most of the thousands of Sea Lions who 

 are seen in the neighborhood of San Francisco during 

 the summer are obliged to swarm away in various direc- 

 tions in a quest of new feeding places at the close of the 

 pairing season in September. This is the Sea Lion often- 

 est seen in captivity, as it seems to thrive better in that 

 state than any other representative of its family. Its 

 wonderful sagacity and activity are best illustrated by 

 the method it pursues in capturing the Sea Gull. Sight- 

 ing its prey, the Sea Lion will dive deeply and swim some 

 distance under the water, then it will rise and expose the 

 tip of its nose above the water giving it a rotary motion 

 like a water buoy at play. The Sea Gull, attracted by the 

 object, will alight to catch it, only to be seized and de- 

 voured by its wily foe. 



Hooker's Sea Lion, found south of New Zealand; and 

 the Australian Hair Seal, believed by many to be the miss- 

 ing link between the Fur and Hair Seals because the cubs 

 have a soft thick underfur, which however disappears in 

 the adults, are the remaining species of Sea Lions. 



Sea Lions are too formidable to be taken in nets, or 

 clubbed to death, and are generally shot with rifles. Where 

 they congregate in large numbers, as on the Pribilov 

 Islands, they are driven from the shore to a village from 

 ten to twelve miles inland ; the journey taking about five 

 days. A man will get between the edge of the water and 

 the herd, and by running at them with an umbrella, which 

 he expands as he approaches, will alarm and rouse the rear 

 line of animals, who will press forward upon those in 

 front until the whole herd is in motion. By shouting and 

 waving flags, at the rear and on the flanks of the herd, 

 the Sea Lions are kept moving in the right direction un- 

 til they reach their destination, or it is necessary to halt 

 them for a rest. At the killing-grounds the full-grown 

 males are shot Avith rifles, after which the slaughter is 

 continued Avith lances. The skins are valued only for 

 leather purposes; as the under fur, in the few cases 

 where it is present, is very scarce. 



