4^^ ' MR. T. P. A. RING ON 'mZ " 



The growth of the pups was astonishing: day by day one 

 seemed to notice the progress, and in about 10 days they had 

 more than doubled their bixlk and weight. 'No attempt was made 

 to seize a youngster and weigh it, but on comparing the size of 

 some of them with that of a man, the estimate was arrived at 

 that the pups in question weighed 180 to 200 lbs. ; and at birth 

 from 65 to 80 lbs. ; the Largest male jDups 85 lbs. There was a 

 preponderance of females in nearly all harems, but no certain 

 ratio could be determined. When suckling the j^oungster, the 

 mother-seal reclined to one side, offering the nipples protruding 

 through two holes — one on each side of and equidistant from' 

 the navel, as well as in line with it — to the pup, who, after 

 having sucked his fill, painfully dragged himself, with tlie heavy 

 head bobbing up and down, into the water ; the dam following 

 up, and ]3lacing herself alongside of the youngster, wlio rested 

 with his fore- flippers on the shelving bottom, and both animals 

 facing landwards. When, as often happened, the slight rough of 

 the sea drew the pup out, and he lost the support of his iiippers, 

 the head became submerged. Immediately the dam swept the 

 youngster up, so that he again recovered his footing. If 

 prevented from getting into the water the pups vomited the milk. 

 According to the American authority, Mr. K. W. Elliott, in 

 regard to the Pribyloff ■ Islands seals, they become land-sick; 

 digestion, which must take place while the pup is in the water, 

 having been prevented. 



In the third week after their birth the jet-black pelts of the 

 pups changed into brown, the black curly hairs dropping out, and 

 brown, straight hairs taking their place, the coats being thick 

 and rough. Gradually these were changed into the pretty silver- 

 grey coats, which the pups had when leaving the beaches on 

 about the 10th of December, but which, on their return in 

 February, had assumed a darker hue. 



On the 17th of October the pairing of the Elephant- Seals was 

 observed, this event taking place when the first circumnavigation 

 of Kerguelen Land was made by us. In Thunder Harbour, near 

 Sadole Island, on the West Coast, Avhere a party of men had been 

 landed to capture the Fur-Seal, — which was believed to visit this 

 pai't of our domain, but which proved not to be the case, only a 

 couple of these seals being seen, and a small one captured— a 

 curious commotion was noticed on the 16th of October amorig 

 the hundreds of Elephant-Seals that were lying on the plain; 

 above the beach. Large bulls were seen to descend, or rather to 

 tumble down, the steeply shelving beach from the plain, gashed 

 and bleeding, to dive into the sea and disappear ; whilst other 

 powerful beasts were coming out of the water to ascend the 

 beach and making their way up to the plain, whence a con- 

 tinuous roaring of bulls was heard, and the sharp agonized yelps 

 of pups and dams. From an island, and a,t a height overlooking 

 the harbour, the plain was dimly visible through the mist ; and 

 the huge shapes of careering bulls were discernible, the animals 



