538 THE FUR SEALS OF THE PKIBILOF ISLANDS. 



seen to laud within a few miuutcs and take their places in the midst of the sleeping 

 c-ows. They call lustily as they come from the water and pups respond, though no 

 effort is made to find them. The wet cows sit around dryiug themselves. As one 

 conies iu she tlounders over the sleeping cows and pups, waking them np in the same 

 aimless way that the female fur seal has. As each cow appears the bull arouses 

 himself up and inspects her. One cow belongs to one bull and two to a second. The 

 actions of cows and bulls are identical with those of the fur seal except that the bnll 

 in his calling nods his head in a peculiar fashion while the bull fur seal shakes his 

 head. 



The sea-Iiou cows are not unlike the fur seals except in size. When they crane 

 out their long necks they look like great lizards. The nose of the sea lion is broader, 

 shorter, and has a decided upward tendency, especially in the younger animals. In 

 the pup and young bachelor it is not unlike that of a pug dog. All the movements 

 of the animals are less easy and graceful. The swaying motion of the head and 

 shoulders when walking and the constant bobbing of the head when discussing 

 family affairs are the most characteristic movements of the bulls. 



The little brownish-black pups, which are now about the size of the fur-seal ]iups 

 at the age of 3 months, play about with one another just like the fur-seal pups. One 

 is lying asleep on its mother's back. Another is climbing up and tumbling down. 

 Several are nursing and others are podded by themselves, sleeping or ijlayiug in twos 

 and threes. 



Among the sea lions, as with the fur seals, the young or half-growu bull seems 

 ruled out. The bachelors are more privileged characters. The half bulls lie at some 

 distance from the cows. Some are at a distance, at the other side of the neck. One 

 lies across the little bight iu the midst of a far-seal rookery. Two came up in the 

 water before the rookery and began roaring. The old bulls started for the water. 

 One young bull immediately tied. The other stood his ground and did not retreat 

 even when an old bull went into the water after him. They bluffed at one another 

 and the old fellow returned to the shore; both continued roaring and nodding their 

 heads at one another. 



■ Two bachelors play with each other in the water in front of the rookery just as 

 fur-seal bachelors might. They attempt to stop the landing cows. 



The old bulls occasionally indulge in the same kind of bluffing which characterizes 

 the bull seals. The (|uick snap at the angle of the fore fiipper, and the equally (piick 

 withdrawal of this limb, shows that with the sea lion, as with the fur seal, it is a 

 coveted and vulnerable point of attack. No serious lighting was seen and no cuts 

 could be distinguished. The bulls, when not sleeping, were alternately bluffing at one 

 another and rounding up and talking to the cows. 



A female sea lion was seen to drive away a strange pup which attempted to 

 nurse. 



In every respect, so far as noted, the habits and actions of the sea lions were 

 exactly identical with those of the fur seals, except iu that the bachelors were not so 

 much an object of jealousy as with the latter. Even in their case the difference may 

 not exist in the regular breeding season. The pups are apparently all born, and 

 doubtless most of the cows, if not all, are served. 



The other sea lion rookery, at the tij) of the point seen from the top of Hutchinson 

 Hill, shows iiractically the same features, but it is evidently much smaller. 



