1868.] CAPT. ABBOTT ON THK SEALS OF THE FALKLANDS. 191 



Now, however, the skin of the latter is considered the more valuable 

 of the two. During the breeding-season the males fight most despe- 

 rately, and I have seen them covered with scars from old wounds. 

 When these Seals are on the shore they appear to have a great dis- 

 inclination to go to sea. I recollect on one occasion, accompanied 

 by a friend, rolling stones down from above on some that were lying 

 on the beach. When one was hit, he gave a roar and rushed at his 

 nearest companion, fancying no doubt that he had attacked him ; 

 others swallowed the stones thrown at them. This dislike to going 

 into the water may have arisen from their laying up to change 

 their coats. Although these animals are so unwieldy in appear- 

 ance, they have wonderful powers of climbing, chiefly by means of 

 their flippers, and can ascend rocks that are almost perpendicular. 

 I recollect once watching a number of Seals from the top of a 

 very steep ledge of rocks about 20 feet high, when, upon hearing 

 our voices, a large Sea-Lion gave a sudden roar and rushed up 

 the rock to where I was sitting. Having no weapons of defence 

 it did not take me long to beat a retreat. I fancy that it was 

 on account of a female companion near him that he made this at- 

 tack, as among about fifteen males there appeared to be only two 

 females. 



On one occasion I made an excursion to the north shore to pro- 

 cure the skull of a Sea-Lion. On finding about a dozen of these 

 animals basking on the shore, I fired both barrels loaded with bul- 

 lets into the shoulder of one lying about 5 yards ofi", but with no eff'ect, 

 for he only gave a roar and shuffled into the water. I then reloaded, 

 and going close to another fired at him, but without doing him any 

 apparent harm. Upon this the others took the alarm and retired 

 into the water, whence I could see them gazing at me, their bodies 

 half-raised up out of the sea, perfectly motionless, like large rocks, 

 the water being quite smooth. I was afterwards more successful; 

 for finding two Sea-Lions with two females and their cubs in a small 

 cave, I killed one of Sea- Lions with a bullet through the ear, and 

 wounded the other badly ; but the latter animal managed to escape 

 into the water. I then drove out the females and secured the cubs. 

 Wishing to have the skull of the Sea- Lion that I had killed, I sent 

 the Gaucho, who accompanied me, for a lasso, which we made fast 

 round his head (his body being half in the water) and proceeded to 

 haul him out. 



I have never taken the dimensions of a Sea-Lion ; but I once 

 skinned a large one, and it was as much as the man who was with 

 me and myself could do to carry only the skin across the bay and 

 up the hill to my tent ; on retiirning to the settlement I found the 

 weight of the skin to be 240 lb. The hair of both sexes is very 

 coarse, that of the female being somewhat the finest. The young 

 ones also have coarse hair, and are much darker in colour than 

 the old ones, being almost black. I have seen hundreds of skins, 

 and never saw on any of them anything approaching to fur. The 

 skin and skull of the Sea-Lion that I shot are now in the British 

 Museum. 



