300 



OUR ARCTIC PROVINCE. 



a roaring tempest and storm-tossed waters attending its transit I 

 never failed, on creeping out and peering over the bluffs in such 

 weather, to see squads of these perfect watermen, the most expert 

 of all amphibians, gambolling in the seething, creamy wake of 

 mighty rollers which constantly broke in thu.nder-tones over their 

 alert, dodging heads. The swift succeeding waves seemed every 

 instant to j)oi;:e those seals at the very verge of death ; yet the 

 Callorhinus, exulting in his skill and strength, bade defiance to 

 their wrath and continued his diversions. 



Fur-seals rising to breatlie and look around. 

 [Characteristic pelagic attUicde of the '■'• hoUuschickie.''^ '] 



The " holluschickie " are the champion swimmers of all the seal 

 tribe ; at least, when in the water around the islands, they do nearly 

 every fancy tumble and turn that can be execvited. The grave old 

 males and their matronly companions seldom indulge in any extrava- 

 gant display, as do these youngsters, which jump out of the water 

 like so many dolphins, describing beautiful elliptic curves sheer 

 above its surface, rising three and even four feet from the sea, with 

 the back slightly arched, the fore flippers folded tightly against the 

 sides, and the hinder ones extended and pressed together straight 

 out behind, plumping in head first, to reappear in the same man- 



