ELEPHANT-SEALS OF KERGUELEN LAND. 435 



Several Elephant-Seals were seen during the winter in the 

 varioiis anchorages resorted to by the whalers in bad weather, a 

 few Crab-Eaters and one Ross-Seal, as well as a small number 

 of Sea-Leopards, also having been observed, and specimens 

 secured for Museum purposes. 



On the 28th of August 1909 three large, grey bulls hauled up 

 at Swain's Haulover, a neck of land separating Swain's Bay from 

 the fjord to the west of Long Island, in Royal Sound, where the 

 whaling factory had been established, and about 2^ miles distant 

 from the latter. The weather had been, and still was, abomin- 

 able, and the seals disappeared again. Ti*acks in the snow 

 showed that they, or some others, had been up a day or two 

 earlier, but none were seen again until the 3rd of September, 

 when several •' hauled up " at Swain's Haulover, as well as in 

 Royal Sound, and at Greenland Harboiir Haulover, which 

 separates this harbour from an arm of Royal Sound. The new 

 arrivals drove the bulls that had wintered over, and which were 

 very thin, compared with the others, away to the corners of the 

 beaches, or compelled them to seek another beach, and they then 

 commenced to battle between each other for the supremacy, 

 which meant the possession of the beach. The weather was most 

 uncongenial however, the thermometer only registering 30^° F., 

 though the sea-water was mucli warmer. On this account the 

 fights were rather half-hearted, and the water was preferred. 



In the course of a weelc an increasing number of large bulls 

 hauled up : and on the Uth of September a few dams reappeared. 

 The battles between the rival males now began in real earnest, 

 the arrival of the females adding a zest to what previousl}^ 

 seemed a mere pastime. The combats now assumed a sanguinary 

 and decisive character. It was always bull to bull, and whenever 

 a large bull without provocation attacked a weaker one, others 

 would come to the assistance of the latter, and hurl themselves 

 at the bully. The duels were fought in the shallow water until 

 the bulls were, so to speak, sorted out in pods of equal strength 

 and dimensions, and at last only one or two remained, the others 

 taking themselves ofl', and away from the victorious bull, who 

 took up his position among the dams. At Swain's Haulover two 

 fine bulls lingei-ed in the shallow water without ascending the 

 beach. Both had come out as victors over their rivals, and both 

 had had several trials of strength. 



What may be called real water- pantomimes had been witnessed 

 by us : the pelting of the sundry fighting bulls with stones having 

 nonphissed the animals to such an extent that, when a stone hit 

 one, the beast would thrust his head into the water after the 

 stone, and on finding what had given him the stinging blow, he 

 looked round in a dazed way and next furiously went for the 

 nearest of his compeers. 



It was rather puzzling to see that neither of the two bulls 

 took possession of the beach, although an increasing numbei' 



